Hours
by Nika Dixon
Summary: Jen and Laura see something they shouldn't. Can the boys solve the riddle before it's too late? Jen and Laura whump. Alpha males to the rescue! With SGA1 and SGA2.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note --- Yes, I'm back! The evil plot bunnies have attacked me and disrupted my life once again. They wouldn't let me move on until I agreed to put this tale to screen! I hope you all enjoy where it's going! I'm not sure where they're going to take us, but it should be a fast and exciting trip! We've got Jen and Laura whump, and a lot of angry alpha males searching for answers. :) An excellent start if I do say so myself!  
- Nika_**

* * *

Laura walked through the cold, quiet corridors of the lower levels of the city. She took a deep breath, loving the musty scent of dampness and sea salt. The air on the Daedalus was stale and canned, its regenerated atmosphere usually smelling like a gym locker. She loved the work and the job – but she could definitely forgo spending eighteen days in a row locked in a sardine can with a hundred testosterone charged cement heads.

Landing on the Atlantis pier always felt like coming home. Sea. Sky. Fresh air. She tried to cram as much outside time in during their stop over, but she'd be back on the ship all too soon. And more often than not, the short layover was not enough time to reconnect with her friends. Between schedules and assignments, she was lucky if she'd been able to hang with anyone for more than a meal over the past three months.

But not this month! No, this time she'd lucked out. The Daedalus had left without her. She'd been assigned the time on Atlantis and was going to make the most of it! Starting with 24 hours of free time, and an outing with her best friend.

She grinned and turned to her companion. "So tell me what I missed…"

Next to her, Jen shrugged. "Not much, really," she answered, pretending to find something of interest along the smooth marbled walls. "Same old, same old."

Laura narrowed her eyes. "I've been gone for over a month and you're telling me nothing unusual happened?"

"Yup."

"So if I ask around," Laura hinted, "everyone will tell me everything went just fine with all those off world missions…"

"Yup."

"Uh-huh," Laura nodded. She paused. "You know I don't believe you, right?"

"Yup," Jen grinned.

Laura laughed. "So what did you do this time?"

"Why does everyone always think it's my fault?"

"Because it usually is," Laura dropped her arm around her friend's shoulder. "You have the luck of the dammed."

"I do not."

"You do."

Jen sighed.

"Who got hurt this time?" Laura asked, dropping her arm.

"No one…"

"There's a _but_ in there isn't there?"

Jen shrugged.

"But…" Laura prompted.

Jen rolled her eyes. "I might have…accidentally…destroyed…a…sacred temple…a few weeks ago…" she muttered.

"Destroyed a sacred temple?" Laura stopped abruptly, and burst out laughing.

"It wasn't my fault!" Jen stopped walking and turned to face Laura. She flung her arms wide. "Rodney told me the console was harmless! He should have said it was harmless _if you didn't touch it_! How was I supposed to know the green buttons were a self destruct? I mean, all I did was lean against it! Thankfully Colonel Sheppard realized the beeping wasn't a good thing… I mean seriously…would you…oh for god sake! It's not that funny!"

Laura's laughter echoed down the empty hallway. After a moment she straightened, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Oh god…" she gasped for air. "Self destruct…Oh J…I missed you…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Jen scowled, crossing her arms.

"I mean it," Laura insisted, her laughter fading into a soft smile. She threw her arms around Jen and hugged her tightly.

"I've missed you too, Spaz." Jen smiled her understanding and agreement. She gave Laura a squeeze then pushed back. "Now if you're done laughing at me—"

"Hey! I wasn't laughing at you," Laura interrupted. "I was laughing _with_ you."

"_I_ wasn't laughing," Jen reminded her friend, and fell into step beside her. "The other person has to be laughing for you to laugh with them."

"Hmm…" Laura grinned, leading the way into a side corridor. "Good point. I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that." Jen glanced down the dimly lit hallway. She looked up, then back at Laura. She frowned. "Are you _sure_ you know where you're going?"

"Yes, I'm sure I know where I'm going," Laura mocked in a sing-song voice.

"…'cause you said it was around the next corner," Jen reminded her friend, "about seven corners ago."

"Yeah…well…" Laura stopped at the junction of an intersecting corridor. She turned in a complete circle. "It's been a month since I found it."

"Ah yes," Jen nodded. "The mysterious _it_. Are you going to tell me what _it_ is yet?"

"Nope," Laura said firmly. She glanced sideways at Jen. Laura knew her friend hated surprises, but this little gem was definitely too cool for words. An acoustically balanced room that played the most amazing music. Emotionally charged symphonies so enveloping, all she'd been able to do was sit on the floor and just listen. Laura had stumbled across it during her last visit but hadn't had time to explore it further.

Jen was going to love it…if Laura could remember just where the hell it was!

"You don't remember where it is, do you." Jen commented dryly.

"I remember!"

"Uh huh."

"These hallways all look the same. It would be nice if they could have color coded them." Laura turned down the dark corridor to their right, hesitated, then took the corridor to the left. "This way…I think."

Jen walked beside her. "Why didn't you make a map or something?"

Laura looked down at her pocketless capris and tank top. "And just where do you propose I keep the pen and paper?"

Jen's eyes dropped to Laura's chest. She wiggled her eyebrows.

"I'll have you know this is a fifty dollar bra, not a desk set," Laura huffed.

Jen snickered. "Oh they're a _desk set_ all right…I seem to recall a certain someone nearly getting caught on a certain someone else's desk? Right before the someones' commanding officer walked in…?

"Hey!" Laura tried for offended but couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Yeah…that was a pretty close call, wasn't it?"

Jen shook her head and grinned. "One of these days you two are going to get caught."

"Hey! We're very discreet…"

"The front compartment of a Jumper is not discreet."

"Oh shut it," Laura felt her cheeks burning at the memory of nearly being walked in on by a pair of engineers scheduled to run maintenance on Jumper three. "At least I admit I have a problem," she countered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh like you don't know, Miss sneaking-glances-then-hiding-your-face-when-he-looks-your-way." Laura taunted. "You're not fooling anyone with that small town innocent act, missy. We all know you want to jump his bones."

"Jump his bones?" Jen gaped. "How old are you?"

"Old enough to know what it means…" Laura smiled lewdly. "Come on. You know you want to. Just admit it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jen said hurriedly.

"Uh-huh…" Laura nodded slowly.

After a moment, Jen huffed. "Yeah, well…how do you know I haven't…you know…done it?"

"Because you can't even say it!" Laura snickered. "Say it. Come on…say it! Sex." She poked Jen in the arm. "Say it, Keller. Sex. It's just a word Miss Medical Terminology. Sex. Sex, sex, sex!"

"Okay!" Jen exclaimed. "Fine! _Sex_. There I said it. Happy?

"Immensely."

"God, you're crude."

Laura laughed. "Besides, there's no way you'd be wasting time down here with me on your day off if you had the opportunity to be taking a ride on—"

"Laura!" Jen wacked Laura across the shoulder. "You're impossible!"

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"I tolerate you."

"You love me."

"Tolerate."

"Love."

"Tolerate."

"Love."

Jen giggled. "You just don't know when to stop, do you?"

"Nope." Laura popped the P dramatically.

The end of the corridor they stopped at a t-intersection. Laura looked left, right, then left again.

Jen turned in a circle. "I thought you Marine's were supposed have some kind of…you know…memory thing…"

"Memory thing?" Laura raised her eyebrows.

Jen swirled her index finger around in the air. "Yeah. Some trick you do to remember where you're going."

"Trick?"

"Yeah, like…counting footsteps or making up rhymes or something…"

Laura snickered. "What are you talking about?"

Jen dropped her hands to her hips. "You know what I mean!"

"No," Laura shook her head. "I don't."

"Do you know where we're going or not?"

"I know…" Laura stepped forward, spotting a vaguely familiar double set of wall sconces next to an arched doorway. "It's right there…"

"Uh huh," Jen scowled. "Sure it is."

Laura stepped forward. "No really. It's right there."

Jen shuffled along behind her. "You're just saying that."

"No…" Laura pointed at the lights on the wall. "See? Two lights side by side."

"Yeah that's definitely an unusual marker. Heaven forbid there should be lights on the wall…" she scoffed.

Laura turned to glare at her. Jen was biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

"You're such a trouble maker, Keller." Laura rolled her eyes.

Jen giggled. "It's so much fun yanking your chain."

Laura walked under the arch into the large, open room. The walls were bare and dark, streaked with stains from the salt water that once flooded the entire section.

"Well…this is certainly exciting," Jen glanced up at the single light on the ceiling high above their heads. "Definitely worth an hour's walk and the promise of having to climb back up 17 floors to the transporter level."

"Oh shush," Laura made a face. "The room is over here." She pointed to a closed door to her left.

Jen stepped forward but Laura stopped her. "Nuh-uh… Finders keepers." She swiped her hand over the access control.

The door slid to the side revealing nothing but darkness beyond. Laura wasn't surprised by the lack of illumination. The music and light show didn't kick in until you triggered the console in the center of the room. She fought to contain her smile. Jen was going to flip!

Next to her, Jen shifted her weight nervously. She stared into the dark room. "Is there some big thing that's going to jump out at me?"

Laura dropped her arms to her side. "Would I do that to you?"

Jen raised her eyebrows.

"Okay fine," Laura admitted. "But not this time. This is really cool, J. Trust me. You're going to love it."

"Fine…" Jen eyed the room warily. "But we go in together."

Laura relented. "Okay."

They crossed the threshold in tandem. Faded light from the room behind filtered forward, chasing away the deeper shadows. Laura's eyes moved past the intricate and unusual patterns carved into the marble flooring and up to the center console, which was hidden behind a half-dozen silver shipping crates.

Laura stopped.

_Odd_.

Those hadn't been there before.

She frowned. This wasn't on the scheduled list of storage rooms.

"Well I can certainly see why you dragged me below sea level…" Jen muttered as she stepped towards the crates.

A tiny shiver of ice feathered across the back of Laura's neck. Instinct and training kicked in and she leapt to the side. She opened her mouth to shout a warning to Jen but an explosion of crippling pain in the back of her skull shut her down.

She was out before she hit the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

"You're supposed to be signing those, not using them for a foot rest…"

John peered over the top of the spy novel at the stack of mission reports waiting for his perusal and signature. "Yeah, yeah…" he frowned at his second in command who was wearing civvies and standing in the doorway. "Didn't the Doc order you to take a nap or something?"

Evan rolled his eyes. He walked into the office. "I'm supposed to take it easy. Not nap."

"Napping is taking it easy," John countered. "I'd like a nap."

Evan snorted. "Yeah because you've worked oh-so-hard today."

"I'll have you know I'm already on page 217 and it's…" John glanced at his watch, "not even noon."

"Productive," Evan nodded, dropping into the guest chair.

"I thought so," John smirked. "So how _are_ you feeling Dr. Livingston?"

"Perfectly fine. I have no idea why the Doc has to be all paranoid with the bed rest. Nothing happened. I mean seriously. It was just a—"

"—giant fern with poisonous pincers that nearly decapitated you and two of your team members?" John finished.

Evan rubbed the back of his neck. "We took care of it."

"Yeah, about that…" John dropped his feet to the floor and straightened in his chair. He reached for the report sitting at the top of the stack. "You had to use _all_ the C4?" he raised an eyebrow and tossed the paperwork down in front of the Major.

"What?" Evan hunched one shoulder. "It was a big fern."

John sighed. "And people wonder why I hate mission reports…"

Evan grinned. "I could get you a fern, too. I'm sure Doc would be willing to order you two days rest and relaxation. The Daedalus is gone…everything's quiet now."

"Speaking of the Daedalus," John leaned back in his chair and resumed his previous position, "weren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on the double mint twins today?"

Evan laughed. "Yeah, I was. But Cadman said she needed some…" he made quotes in the air with his fingers, "girl time."

"Girl time? And you believed her?"

"She said she needed the afternoon for a special surprise she had for Jen."

"A surprise…" John repeated. Laura Cadman and 'surprise' had far, _far_ different connotations than normal associated with the word. Usually with explosive results.

He eyed his second in command warily.

"I know, I know…that's exactly what I thought, too." Evan retorted. "But Laura promised it was on the level. Something to cheer Jen up." He rubbed his hand over the side of his jaw. "You know Doc's been having a hell of a week. I figured it was worth taking a chance."

John nodded in agreement. It had most definitely been a rough week…for more than one reason. A killer strain of Pegasus chicken-pox had almost wiped out SGA8, and then SGA2 had come under attack by a massive, poisonous plant while collecting the healing herb. The Doc had eventually solved the medical riddle and cured the men, but at the cost of her own sleep and sanity.

He supposed she deserved a quiet little time to enjoy herself.

But time off with Cadman was _never_ quiet.

"Hey, I made her promise not to leave the city," Evan countered John's questioning glare. "And," the Major held his hand up to stop John's retort, "I ordered Chuck, under penalty of death, _not_ to let either one of them have any access to the Jumper bay or the Gate."

John snorted. "Good idea."

"I thought so. At least the fall-out will be contained to the city."

"Hopefully the universe agrees with you."

"Oh shut it," Evan scowled.

* * *

Jen's first sense was pain.

Excruciating pain.

It tore a fiery path across the side of her skull, embedding itself into her forehead. Her stomach rolled over, bucking the contents sharply upward. Bile burned the back of her throat. She swallowed, forcing it down.

She tried to move, but her limbs were locked and heavy. Muscles strained along the base of her neck as the realization slipped past the throbbing roar in her ears. She was standing? How was she standing? _Why_ was she standing? She tried to turn, but could only manage a half-swing. Her head flopped wearily to the side, connecting with something soft and fleshy. Cool skin. Her skin. Her arm. Pointing…up? She slowly rocked her head, using her bare skin as a sensor. Sticky wetness. _Blood_. In her hair. On her cheek. Her neck. Her shoulder. A lot of blood.

Well...it explained the crushing pain the side of her skull.

God, she was dizzy.

She twisted her wrists, trying to lower her hands. The stinging burn of rope across her wrists made her stop. There was no give. No slack.

"Jen?" Laura's voice came from behind her.

"Laur?" she managed to croak. "W-what's happening?"

"Ambushed."

"I don't…" _Remember_… No, no she did remember. Pieces at least. The city. She was in the city. They'd been exploring. Laura had something to show her. The room…then nothing.

"You…you injured?" Jen managed to ask.

"…bastard tried to decapitate me…"

"Head?"

A grunt of affirmation.

"Anywhere else?"

A groan. "Isn't that enough?"

"Laura…"

"No…no where else. You?"

Jen concentrated on tensing and releasing various muscles, analyzing her body as best she could. She was unbound except for the rope holding her arms above her head, and other than the head injury, she couldn't feel any other injuries.

Except for one thing.

She held her breath, confirming that her eyelids were indeed moving up and down.

_She couldn't see!_

"Paranoid much?" Laura snorted, then wimpered. "No lights in here…dimwit…God don't make me laugh…it hurts…"

Jen let out the breath she was holding. She blinked. Blinked again. Still nothing. "How do you know?"

"Thought the same thing…"

"You can see now?"

"Before. Light on the console. It's gone now."

"Where are we?"

"Same room."

"Are you—"

"Strung up like a turkey? Yup."

"Why?" Jen asked, leaving the rest of the question hanging. There were too many why's to even think of which one to ask first.

"Dunno," Laura muttered. "I'll be sure to ask…when I get my hands on him…"

"Him?"

"Him…her…either way…someone is going to get dead…as soon…as soon as the world stops spinning…whooo…I'd like to get off the ride now please…"

"We need to…um…to…get you to the infirmary." _And me too…_

"I'll get right on that."

"Can you get your hands out?"

"No."

"Can we—"

"No. The radios are gone."

Jen rolled her head to the right, pressing her ear to her arm. There was no pressure from the com, no ear-bud, no mic. Whoever was doing this had taken their only means of communication.

"And no," Laura sighed. "No one will hear us yelling."

"We could—"

"I tried."

"You tried?"

"You've been…out…for a while."

"Define…_while_?"

"Long enough…" Laura's voice dropped. "Long enough…to shout myself hoarse."

Dread mixed with the pain and induced a roll of nausea through Jen's stomach. She wasn't sure if her eyes were even open any more so she squeezed them to make sure they were indeed closed. Dizzy. So very, very dizzy.

_Not good._

Her mind drifted along the edges of consciousness. She could feel herself fading. She snapped her head back up, fighting to keep conscious.

"How soon…" she worked to form the words, "before…they come looking?"

Silence.

"Laur?"

A mumbled sigh. "Hours."

Hours. Her arms would be bloodless by then, but if she could keep awake…keep talking…things would be okay.

Unless whoever did this had other plans.

"Laur…?"

"Don't."

"But…"

"Don't. Jen."

Jen took a deep breath, whimpering when the added oxygen made her head spin.

"…be fine…" Laura mumbled. "…find us…"

"We need…you need…to stay…stay awake…" Jen tried to make it a command, but her voice wasn't cooperating. It came out as more of a disorganized mumble.

Laura's answer never came.

Jen tried counting. Tried reciting procedures. Tried ignoring the painful pull in her arms and the killer headache knocking against the inside of her skull. She shifted into a half conscious state, images of rescue flittering through her mind. P90's. Blaster.

The rest of the pieces fell away and she joined Laura in the pain free blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

Ronon set his loaded tray onto the table and dropped into the empty chair across from Sheppard.

"Hey Chewie," the Colonel greeted. "You done putting the new arrivals in the infirmary already?"

Ronon grinned. "Not my fault they're all soft."

"How many?" Sheppard sighed dramatically.

"Only four," Ronon shrugged, tearing off a hunk of bread and dipping it in the gravy.

"Out of twelve?"

"Yup." He popped the bread into his mouth and chewed.

"You're getting soft."

Ronon raised an eyebrow.

John smirked, then shook his head slowly. "Broken bones?"

"Nope." Ronon frowned. "Don't think so."

"Ronon, Colonel," Evan greeted, sliding into the empty seat next to John.

"Major," John nodded before turning his attention back on Ronon. "Doc's releasing them, right? I need them ready for Buckley's training session on 855 tomorrow."

"Doc wasn't there." Ronon made a face. "I didn't stick around to find out."

John and Evan shared a knowing glance.

"What?" Ronon scowled, even though he already knew the answer.

The Major and the Colonel both shook their heads. "Nothing," they parroted.

"Keep it that way," he ordered.

Ronon shoved a forkful of potatoes and gravy into his mouth to keep himself from smirking. He knew damn well they were trying to get a rise out of him about the Doc. The two were worse than a couple of gossiping fish-wives.

"Speaking of," John turned towards the Major. "You hear from either one of them yet?"

Evan shook his head. "Nope."

John looked inquiringly at Ronon.

"Nope," Ronon answered. He hadn't seen Jennifer since she and Laura left at breakfast. He suspected he wouldn't see her again until tomorrow morning, knowing the way Laura seemed to make her lose track of time.

"Well aren't you two are just a plethora of information," the Colonel retorted.

"_Plethora_?" Rodney snorted, snapping his tray onto the end of the table. "Word of the day calendar again?"

Evan shook his head. "Scrabble dictionary."

"That would imply _playing_ the game of scrabble," Rodney shook his head. "Snakes and Ladders is more his speed."

"Ahem!" John frowned.

Rodney sighed and tapped his ear. "What," he grunted into his com. "No…I said _don't_ cross-populate. Don't. As in _do not_. You do understand common English, right? You what? No, don't touch it! Don't touch anything…" The scientist stood and stormed out of the cafeteria, berating whoever was at the other end.

John grabbed the Jello off Rodney's abandoned tray and tossed it to Ronon. Then he flipped the rice crispy square at the Major and scooped the chocolate chip cookies for himself.

"Guess he won't be needing these…"

* * *

Laura managed to open one eye. The other seemed less inclined to obey. Nothing had changed. She was still trussed up in the dark and sporting a killer headache. Tequila shooters had nothing on this level of pounding room spins.

God someone was going to pay for this.

She held her breath as best she could despite the desire to go back to sleep. She listened, her ears buzzing with pain in the silence of the dead room. There. A faint wheezing coming from somewhere behind her.

Jen.

Laura exhaled. Still alive.

For the moment.

She tried to reason it out but the pieces didn't match up.

Someone had intentionally caused her harm.

Caused Jen harm.

Whoever it was couldn't have been a regular in the city, or they would have known they'd signed their own death warrant. If there was one thing Laura loved about her boys, was their crazy-jealous-big-brother-over-protective streak towards her best friend.

Their attacker wasn't going to live long enough for the cell door to close.

He was a dead man.

If he was a man.

Maybe he wasn't even human.

No.

The thought skirted through the pain and she dismissed it.

Aftershave.

She'd smelled after shave.

And she was pretty sure, or at least relatively confident despite the situation, that alien forces wouldn't bother with a splash of _Hugo Boss_.

"Jen?" She croaked. God. She needed some water. Or scotch. Straight up. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Jen?"

No answer.

"Come on, J…talk to me."

Nothing.

Laura sighed.

This was not good.

* * *

Jen struggled out of the darkness at the cool taste of water on her lips. She drank greedily. After a few long swallows she tried to pull back, but the flow didn't decrease.

She opened her eyes, but could see nothing in the inky blackness. A panicked roar started at the base of her skull, filling her ears. She _knew_ someone was standing in front of her, could _sense_ the presence, but could see nothing.

And whoever it was…wasn't a friend.

The water fell faster, filling her mouth. She started to cough, the flow too strong from her weak throat. A hand fisted in her hair, holding her head in place, forcing the bottle upright. The water spilled down across her chin, soaking the front of her tank-top.

She struggled weakly, her arms dead weight above her head.

The dizziness returned with a vengeance, bringing with it a sense of muddled calm. The pounding in her head subsided, leaving her feeling like she was floating. It took a few moments for her addled mind to recognize and process the information her body was sending. She fought for reasoning, but there was no hope.

The water had been drugged.

She slipped into oblivion once again.

* * *

_He tossed the empty water bottle into the corner. It landed with a clattering slide. After adjusting the fit of his night-vision-goggles, he glanced towards the last two steel storage containers sitting in the corner. _

_He winced when he moved. The damn redhead hadn't been so easy to force the water on. She'd nailed him good with her knee when he'd tried to make her keep drinking. But he'd gotten enough into her system to knock her on her pert little ass. _

_Next time he wouldn't be so reckless. _

_He turned back to the dangling Doctor and the redheaded. It was a shame, really. He rather liked Dr. Keller. She'd treated him nicely since his arrival. But nice wasn't a game he played anymore. Not when he was this close to his goal._

_He smiled to himself and stepped towards the redhead. It was time to finish setting the stage. _

_He dropped to the floor and quickly removed her shoes and socks. He tossed them in the corner towards the discarded water bottle. Next came her pants. _

_He left her underwear._

_He might be a cold-blooded killer…but he wasn't a pervert. _

_He turned to Dr. Keller, quickly divesting her of her footwear and her jeans. _

_Standing, he surveyed the results. _

_The perfect misdirection…_

_He'd learned his lesson the hard way by the arrival of the Dr. and her friend that his sub-level hiding spot wasn't the perfect location he'd thought it was. So in the event someone __else__ stumbled across his hidey-hole, he'd present them with a trail of clues leading in another direction. _

_Yes, if they were rescued, the women would no longer be within his control._

_But that didn't matter. _

_Not really. _

_It was a closed city. He'd wait for the appropriate opportunity to finish them off._

_He was nothing if not patient. _

_And in the event no one ever found them…well…that was okay, too. It would save him the trouble of having to take care of them himself, later._

_Either way, it was a win-win situation._

_No loose ends. And no witnesses._

_He grabbed the remaining two cases and moved towards the exit. _

_Time to go. _

_Good night, ladies. _

_Sorry about your luck._


	4. Chapter 4

Ronon jerked awake, his entire body humming with coiled tension. He froze. His senses sought signs of danger, but the air around him remained calm.

He opened his eyes, scanning as much of his room as he could see without physically moving.

Again, nothing.

He was alone.

He sat up and kicked his legs off the side of the bed. Shaking off the adrenaline rush he tried to reason out what was wrong. He rubbed his hand across the side of his jaw. Nightmare? Possibly. But those he always remembered. Right now he couldn't find any pieces of the dream other than a fading sense that it had something to do with Jennifer.

Returning to sleep would be impossible.

He stood and grabbed for his clothes. A couple laps should settle the restless energy back into its cage.

He stepped into the hallway, pausing as the door closed behind him. He listened. He looked. He waited. But despite a knot of unease coiling in his abdomen, he could sense nothing out of the ordinary.

Ronon scowled. Reaching up he twisted his dreads up away from his face then took off at a half-run. He let his legs decide the direction, not really caring where he ended up, so long as he went somewhere.

The empty corridors were dim and dark. The city herself seemed to be holding her breath. Waiting.

But waiting for what?

Ronon couldn't shake the odd feeling of disconnection. His heart was beating faster than the exercise required. He ran by two security teams, neither one paying any mind to his middle-of-the night session. They walked casually, no tension, no worry. He called out in passing, but both teams answered with an all quiet.

Several levels up from the crew quarters, Ronon approached the intersection of the gate level hallway. Right would take him to the infirmary. Left to the gate room.

He automatically shifted to the left side of the corridor, his body moving along the standard route he always took. Left to the gate room. Up to the Jumper bay. Across the catwalk. Down to the main level. Repeat until exhausted.

He eyed the corner. Left. Right. Left. Right.

He let out a low growl of dissatisfaction. Two strides from the turn he shifted and turned right towards the infirmary. Ignore your instincts and get yourself killed. Or someone else. And right now his instincts were screaming a death march across the back of his skull.

Whether anyone knew it or not… something was not right.

He was going to find out what.

* * *

John's dream of flying a bi-plane through the rockies shattered with the pounding on his door. For a brief second, he held onto both realities, mixing the knocking with a problem on his plane. As reality overpowered the dream, he realized it wasn't the engine… it was the door to his quarters.

He groaned and flipped off the covers. "Coming!" he croaked, padding barefoot across the cool marble floor. He swiped his hand over the control and retreated as the hulking shadow in his doorway moved forward.

"Ronon?" John frowned. His apprehension level spiked in reaction to the tense energy surrounding the Satedan. "What's wrong? What's going on?" He keyed the lights in the room, raising them to a low level, then turned to face Ronon.

"No one's seen Cadman or the Doc since this morning," the big man stated gruffly.

John blinked. "Um…," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay." The Colonel knew there was a little more to the situation between the Doc and his friend than they were letting on, but the paranoia was new. Or jealousy. Either way an upset Ronon was a dangerous Ronon.

John took a deep breath, struggling to think of an appropriate explanation. "It is Cadman we're talking about," he started. "Remember what happened the last time these two got together. Laura probably has her out—"

"Sheppard," Ronon interrupted. "No one has seen them since breakfast," he repeated slowly. "Not the control room, not the mess hall, and not Doc's patients. She missed a check in with Marie."

John straightened. That didn't sound like Jennifer—Laura's influence or not. And Laura, despite her penchant for causing a ruckus, would never step in front of Jennifer and a patient.

He glanced at his watch. Just after three. "When was she supposed to—"

"Before two a.m.."

John grabbed his BDU's and yanked the trousers on. "And you—"

"Already checked with Marie. Doc never came by."

John grabbed a crumpled pair of dirty socks off his floor. He sat on the side of the bed and pulled them on. "Did she—"

"Tried the radio. No one answered."

He stuffed his feet in his boots and quickly laced them. "Why didn't she—"

"She didn't want to interrupt her day off if she was having fun. Didn't think anything of it. It was just a check up appointment. Nothing critical."

"Doc doesn't miss appointments."

"No," Ronon stared at the Colonel. "She doesn't."

John stood and caught the t-shirt Ronon chucked at him. He yanked it over his head then reached for the com sitting on the table next to the bed.

"Doctor Keller, this is Colonel Sheppard. Come in."

There was no answer.

He followed Ronon out into the hallway. He tried several more times, requesting both Dr. Keller and Lieutenant Cadman to reply.

Silence.

Even on her days off the Doc was never without her radio. And Laura was a psychopath when it came to destruction. She'd never leave her com behind. Missing an opportunity to destroy something was a higher mental function with that woman. So if neither one would be without their radio, the remaining possibilities were limited. Malfunction. Location. Or trouble.

One of them having issues with their radio was one thing. But having both radio's malfunctioning at the same time was too much of a coincidence. And as far as John knew, Rodney had seen to it the communications system accessed ever corridor, nook and cranny throughout the entire city. So location wasn't an issue. That left option three.

They were physically unable to answer.

Walking into the infirmary, the two men were met by a concerned Marie.

"Colonel?" the nurse stepped forward.

"Dr. Keller missed a check in?" John prompted.

Marie pursed her lips. "Yes. No. I mean…well, sort of. We discussed having her double check Major Paulson's team to make sure the antibiotics were working as expected so she could up the dose if necessary. I know it's her day off and everything…" Marie glanced over her shoulder at the four men sleeping near the back of the infirmary. She turned back towards John and shrugged. "But it's not like her not to even stop by…even with Laura distracting her." Marie half smiled.

John took a deep breath. "Have you heard from her at all today? Either one of them?"

Marie shook her head.

"And she was supposed to check in with you by…?"

Marie glanced at her watch. "Over an hour ago."

"Did you try her radio?"

"Not at first," Marie glanced at Ronon, "but Ronon thought it might be a good idea." She shook her head. "She didn't answer."

"When's her next shift?" John asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Ronon answered.

Marie nodded in agreement. "You don't think there's something wrong, do you?" she asked, her eyes betraying her worry.

John shook his head. "I'm sure it's just something Laura's cooked up. She probably just got distracted."

Marie nodded slowly, but John could see she didn't believe for one minute Jennifer would let something distract her from a patient.

And neither did he.

He tipped his head towards Ronon and the two men retreated to the corridor.

"So what now?" Ronon asked as they walked towards the gate room.

John made a face. "Well, we have two choices. Wait until morning and if they're still not back, we send out a search party."

"And two?" Ronon shifted his weight, clearly not happy with option one.

"We piss of an entire city."

Ronon shrugged. "I'm good with that."

They climbed the stairs to the control room. "If these two are passed out drunk somewhere, I'm going to lock them both in the brig," he muttered.

Chuck looked up from the paperback he was reading. Seeing both the Colonel and Ronon approaching, he flipped the book onto the floor and snapped upright in his chair. "Colonel…Ronon…," he greeted.

"Patch me into the city-wide intercom." John requested. "Give me corridors and public areas only. And give me return audio?"

"Uh… sir? Yes, sir." The gate tech nodded. "You do realize—"

"Oh yeah," John muttered. "Wakey wakey!"

"Ready." Chuck nodded. Once.

John keyed his com. "Dr. Keller, this is Colonel Sheppard. I need you to respond immediately."

There were a few muted groans and one startled squeak. But Jennifer's voice did not answer.

John tried again. And then a third time. He then called on Lieutenant Cadman, who's name earned more than a few snickers from the listeners. But neither woman answered.

The Colonel turned to Chuck. "City wide," he ordered.

Chuck nodded. "Go ahead."

John took a deep breath. "This is Colonel Sheppard. I need Dr. Keller or Lieutenant Cadman to contact the control room immediately. If anyone is with, or has seen Dr. Keller or Lieutenant Cadman, please respond."

The resulting audio was a cacophony of groans and sleeppy mutters. John repeated his message. When there was no resolution, he indicated to Chuck to cut the feed. Cleared of the city-wide address system, John switched back to the military channel.

He turned towards the stairs, shadowed by Ronon. They descended the stairs double-time and cut out at a run towards the transporter.

"Meet you there," Ronon called over his shoulder. He jumped into the transporter and jabbed his finger at the map. The doors slid closed.

A moment later they re-opened, revealing the now empty transporter. John stepped in and poked the map on the lower level. "Major Lorne, this is Colonel Sheppard."

"Sir." Evan's response was fast and alert.

"Assemble the security teams and meet me in the armory."

"Already there," Evan acknowledged. "Standard sweep?"

"Standard sweep." John ordered, stepping out of the transporter and breaking into a jog. "McKay."

"No," Rodney's muttered reply was curt and brisk.

"Yes," John answered. "They could be in trouble, Rodney."

"It's Cadman," Rodney whined. "She _is_ trouble."

"Now, McKay."

Rodney sighed. "Fine. But if this is just another one of her stupid jokes…"

"You'll be next in line," John acknowledged. "Now please. Just get your ass down here."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rodney mumbled amidst the sound of rustling. "Three o'clock in the morning. Just who does she think she is…dragging everyone of bed at this ungodly hour. One of these days I'm going to—"

"Rodney." John interrupted. "Just do it."

The Colonel jogged into the armory and stopped near the lockers. The room was a flurry of activity as three teams assembled their gear.

Evan grabbed his P90 and stepped forward. John caught a flash of worry before the Major buried it beneath a stony glare.

John knew there was more than just concern lurking behind the Major's clenched jaw. There was enough emotion in there for his second-in-command to risk his career. It wasn't public knowledge, but it wasn't a complete secret either. The Major was dating the Lieutenant…and had been for some time. John gave his people carte-blanche here in Pegasus, but within reason. Rules were still rules—especially if the IOA got wind of it.

"You're not cleared for duty, Major," John reminded him.

"Bullshit," Evan glared.

John raised an eyebrow.

"…Sir." The Major finished curtly. Evan's expression left little room for interpretation. He wasn't about to be left behind.

"Fine," John relented. "We'll ask the Doc her opinion when we see her." He moved over to the storage lockers and donned his gear.

Teyla stepped up beside him. "John," she nodded.

"Teyla," he straightened. "Listen, we've got this…"

"Torren is with Kaanan," she replied, reaching past him for a Tac-vest. "And I am coming with you."

John didn't bother to argue. He simply nodded. Turning, he caught sight of a second emotionally charged wall. Ronon. Another man on a privately driven mission. The Satedan was now sporting a _lets-kill-something_ glare, his blaster, and what John suspected would be a half-dozen or more well hidden blades.

Shifting his gaze from Ronon to Evan and back again, John silently prayed whatever was going on with the women wasn't serious.

For his sanity, and everyone else's.


	5. Chapter 5

_He heard the Colonel's city wide message and cursed. Setting the final case down with the others, he straightened and rolled his shoulders. Damn things were heavy. _

_He shone the flashlight around his new hiding spot. Hopefully this dingy little cubby hole in the bowels of the north pier would prove to be more secure than his last location. He rubbed the tickle of dust away from his nose. Judging from the lack of proper lighting, this area was definitely not on the map for regular traffic. _

_Although he'd thought that of the last place and look where it had gotten him._

_The repeated audio request for the Doctor or the Lieutenant to answer went unheeded. _

_Sorry Colonel, the ladies can't come to the phone right now. They're a bit tied up at the moment._

_He had to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at his own joke. When the communication cut with a snapping crackle, he moved forward, trusting his footsteps in the silence once again. _

_It was obvious his schedule was now in the toilet. He wouldn't have time to cross the entire city before the eager-beaver military leader organized some kind of search party. If they followed any kind of protocol, they'd do a level by level sweep. Which meant he was cut off from his pray by a line of P90's. _

_He was a genius. But not suicidal. _

_He wouldn't be able to cross the line without someone noticing. _

_No matter. _

_He'd get to them eventually. _

_They had to sleep sometime._

* * *

Evan wasn't really all that worried.

Not a gut wrenching, freak you out so you can't think straight kind of worried…more like a twisted sense he needed to be somewhere kind of worried.

Despite what everyone might say on the surface about Lieutenant Laura Cadman, there wasn't a single soul who'd ever crossed her path who wouldn't know the woman was a Marine to the very heart of her being. Sure you had to look past the maniacal glint in her eye, the spastic strawberry blond curls she could barely keep contained, and the brightly painted toe nails. But put her in front of the words duty and honor and she would trample a platoon into the dirt to get to the front of the line.

There was no way Laura would be out of touch for this long.

Not without a damn good reason.

And that was what concerned Evan.

The only way Laura would not answer her radio, not bring the Doc back for her appointment, or not answer a city wide page, would be if she were physically unable to do so.

Which brought Evan around to his second concern.

Jennifer.

If Laura were injured, then Jennifer would have had her in the infirmary faster than you could say _triage_. The petite CMO was the brightest angel to have at your side if you were injured or hurting. For Jennifer to be absent from communication, missing check-ins, and not answering a city wide page…

Evan rubbed the back of his neck, tension knotting as the two uncertainties collided.

Okay fine.

He was worried, damn it.

"Clear," Browne called out from the room to the left.

"Clear," Sanchez repeated from the room on the right.

Ellis stepped out of the last room at the end of the corridor. "Clear."

Evan tapped his com. "Section L 17 clear. Moving to L 18."

The Colonel's voice came back with a confirmation of the message received. "We'll join you at the top of 18 near the stairwell," Sheppard continued. "19 is clear."

The other teams reported back with equally disappointing results. No sign of them.

With the assistance of the internal sensors, they'd ruled out the crew quarters, public areas, and all corridors. But the life signs were just blips on a screen. There was no way to determine which blip belonged to which specific person. And with the level of secrets the city herself still held, leaving the search solely up to the sensors wasn't an option either. There were to many what if's.

Browne, Ellis and Sanchez joined their CO at the top of the corridor. The team moved systematically. Room by room. Searching for any sign of the Lieutenant or the Doc.

Evan didn't have to analyze the men's silence for anything other than what it was.

He wasn't the only one pretending.

They were _all_ worried.

* * *

"Where's McKay?" John glanced over his shoulder at where the scientist had been a moment before.

Teyla stepped out of the empty storage room to the side. She glanced along the empty hallway and shook her head. "I do not know. He was here a moment ago."

Ronon appeared from the room to the left. He gave his head a barley discernable shake. John half expected a snarky comment in regards to the scientist's disappearing act, but Ronon surprised him by striding back the way they'd come.

"McKay!" John called out, following the Satedan.

Hooking around the end of the hallway they spotted Rodney standing in the middle of the corridor, his index finger jabbing various points on the screen of his tablet. "Okay. I think I've got them," Rodney nodded, oblivious to the fact that he'd been left behind. He straightened and sidestepped, holding the tablet towards John.

"Here." His index finger multi-tapped on the map of the city displayed on the screen.

John scanned the pair of glowing dots hovering off the front of Rodney's fingertip. They didn't appear to be any different from the other random pairs of life sign signatures on the screen. "And…?" he prompted.

"They aren't moving." Rodney raised his eyebrows, looking for validation.

Ronon pressed closer, shadowing John's shoulder. John glanced up, not missing the questioning burn in the big man's dark eyes. Not moving could mean more than one thing. But life sign's were still life signs.

"Not moving at all?" Ronon questioned.

"Not for the last fifteen minutes," Rodney confirmed. "I recalibrated the city sensors to calculate irregular movement, or in this case, no movement. I cross referenced public areas, regular security patrols, removed single subjects in assigned crew quarters, public corridors—"

"McKay," Ronon growled. "Get to the point."

"The point," Rodney looked past John to Ronon, "is that these people, aren't where they should be. This section of the city is still designated authorized personnel only. And all authorized personnel are—"

"—are present and accounted for," John finished. He clasped Rodney on the shoulder. "Good work, McKay."

The Colonel spun and jogged back towards the stairwell, the others at his heels. "Major Lorne," he called into his com. "Converge all teams at the stairwell on 18. McKay's got something."

* * *

The jumper landed on the southernmost tip of the pier. They were off the ramp before it finished settling onto the metal surface. Eight pairs of combat boots hit the ground at a run.

Evan banked right, leading his team towards the recessed doorway to the right.

Ronon was already at the left entrance, the opening doorway yawning wide to admit his fast moving bulk. Once inside, they moved quickly towards the alternate stairwells, descending through the scattered lighting to the fifth level.

The double dots on the scanner still hadn't moved.

Rodney's calculation had already confirmed the number of life-signs matched the number of citizens of the city…but it didn't stop the tension from ripping through John's abdomen with heartburn-like results.

They slowed at the base of the corridor, waiting for Evan's confirmation that he was in position. In tandem, both teams moved forward, lead by the ghostly white beam of the flashlights. Ronon moved with the shadows, sliding closer to the closed doorway on the right.

Evan's team hugged the wall to one side, while John edged closer to his side.

John glanced at Rodney, raising his eyebrows in question.

The scientist glanced at the hand-held scanner and shook his head. "Still nothing," he whispered. "They're in the second room. The door is about four metres to the left," Rodney continued quietly.

John tipped his head to Ronon who took up a position on the wall opposite the door. The Satedan shifted his weight, his blaster aimed at the still closed door. A quick nod to Evan had the Major swiping his hand over the door control.

The door slid back with a hiss. Ronon jumped forward, flanked by John and Evan. Weapons raised they scanned the room, flashlights illuminating the bare walls and empty floor.

Rodney pointed to the only break in the smooth surface of the interior walls. The doorway to the sub chamber. The eight team members took up positions flanking the doorway, weapons raised and ready.

John took a deep breath and slashed his hand across the access panel.

Silence flowed out of the room adding to the tension level twisting around them.

John angled to the right. Ronon to the left. The silence was shattered with a hiss and a growl as the darkness dissipated in the glow of seven flashlights.

Two women, half clothed and blood crusted, dangling by the weight of their bound arms.

The first word that echoed through John's mind was _rape_…immediately followed by _execution_.

He grabbed for Jennifer, lifting her as Ronon's blade diced the yellow rope holding her upright. John lowered her to the floor, cursing at the cold crunch of dried blood beneath his hands.

Ronon slashed Laura's bindings, dropping her into the Major's outstretched arms.

Ellis knelt on the ground between the two women, ignoring the protective position of the others. He was the closest thing to a field medic they had. John leaned back, letting the Lieutenant run a quick assessment. No broken bones, no visual damage other than the obvious head injury.

"We need to get them to the infirmary," Ellis announced. The urgent strain in his voice left no room for hesitation.

Ronon scooped Jennifer up and cleared the door in two strides. Evan shoved his P90 at Sanchez and lifted Laura. As the group hurried down the hallway, the only voice was that of Ellis, who filled Marie in on the extent of the visible injuries.

The others remained silent in their shared understanding. Sideways glances and hard stares confirmed the unspoken promise.

This was _not_ over...


	6. Chapter 6

With a heavy sigh, Marie pulled the elastic out of her hair and let her head fall back. Rolling the tension out of her shoulders, she scratched her scalp with her fingernails then retied her hair.

For the third time in as many minutes, she re-read the test results. She wanted to believe the news was good. But some how she couldn't shake the morbid feeling that the news was horribly wrong. Wrong for the situation. Wrong for the women involved. And most of all, wrong for the location in a galaxy light years from Earth.

Pushing away from the desk, she stood and gathered up the file. Turning towards the main room, she paused, stopping behind a large shelving unit. Using the stocked supplies as camouflage, she studied the trio of men waiting in the outside room.

She wished they were pacing.

Walking.

Talking.

Anything but being the frozen statues who'd been in the exact same spot and position for the past two hours.

Neither Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne, nor Ronon had left their sentry spot guarding the private room where Jennifer and Laura were resting. The others drifted in and out, restless and concerned. The Major's team paced the hallway, wearing an invisible trail of worry across the back entrance of the infirmary. Mr. Woolsey, Teyla and Rodney came and went, giving up trying to get the trio to relax.

Marie glanced at the file clutched tightly between her fingers.

_Good news or bad?_

She stepped out from behind the shelves. Her motion snapped them upright. She gazed directly at the Colonel, ignoring the emotions brewing so close to the surface of Ronon and the Major. They needed to know, but it was not her place to tell them.

Colonel Sheppard lifted his palm. The brisk movement stayed both Ronon and the Major. The two men remaining shared a glance before turning their gaze back to the Colonel.

Marie stepped into an empty alcove. She wasn't surprised to see the Colonel's expression so closed and guarded. But his eyes betrayed the volatile emotions he fought so hard to contain. She had to say, it was a moment like this that made her very glad to be on the right side. Whoever had orchestrated this…this…deed…was going to find justice in this part of the galaxy was fast and furious. She couldn't, however, say with any real certainty, which of the three Fates would be first in line. The Colonel. The Major. Or the Satedan.

With a deep breath she held out the report. He would not fully understand the diagnostics, but he would certainly have no problem with the summary. His head jerked, the muscle in his jaw bulging. The folder creased between his fingers as he stared at the papers in his hands.

"Rohypnol."

A single word. A single question. A single statement.

She flinched when his gaze snapped to hers. She couldn't help it.

"Here," he questioned. "On Atlantis."

She nodded again.

"From Earth?"

"Yes. It's not synthetic."

He dropped his attention to the papers, releasing her from the chilling lock of his gaze. He flipped to the second page. When he looked up, he blinked once, releasing the horror that was hiding in the depths of his eyes. She nodded and tried to smile. She knew the question he was asking by the pleading hope hovering beneath the darkness.

"The tests were negative." She placed her hand against his upper arm and squeezed.

"Both?" The pain skirting the edge of his voice surprised her. She'd expected his tone to be brisk and sharp. Military. Commanding. But this was the tone of a man hovering on an emotional edge.

"Yes," she said softly. "Both were negative."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. He never touched them. Not that way."

His shoulders dropped. The tension slid down his arms and he lowered his hands.

"They're both going to be just fine," she assured him. "The drug should be clear of their system within a few hours."

With a brisk nod, he handed her back the file. The emotions of a worried friend were gone once again, replaced with the calculating stature of a Military commander.

"I leaving two men stationed at the door at all times. And I want to be notified the moment either one of them wakes up."

She nodded. "Of course."

He turned, but she stayed him with a press of her hand against his wrist. "Colonel," she began, unsure of how to word her request. "I…"

"We'll find him," was all he said. "But I can't guarantee you'll have much left to work with."

As he walked away, Marie had the distinct impression she'd just had a conversation with the hand of death.

* * *

Ronon had to fight to keep himself from following the Colonel as he moved away to talk to Marie. Evan tensed, his body combating the same confused mix of signals from his brain as well.

The waiting was killing them both.

They were men of action. Soldiers. They needed targets. Enemies. Standing around doing nothing was hell.

The door at his back lay closed against him, preventing him from seeing the one he needed to see. Oh, he could certainly have gone in if he'd needed to, but he'd understood Marie's command. Jennifer and Laura were to be left alone until further notice. Absolutely no visitors other than the infirmary staff.

Ronon didn't like it. Didn't want to obey it. But he listened to Marie out of respect for Jennifer. So he did the only thing he could.

Protect her now.

Because he hadn't protected her then.

Whatever had happened…was bad.

He could feel it in his soul.

It wasn't just the blood. Just the injury.

It was the state in which they'd been found.

For a brief, fleeting moment when he'd come into the dark room beneath the city, he'd thought she was dead. And damn if it hadn't scared him more than he'd ever have admitted before. They'd had close calls in the past. But none compared to seeing her hanging so lifeless and bloody.

The bare skin left too many horrific images, he'd had to force his mind to retreat just to keep himself sane. But pushing his thoughts away from her physical body only sent his worry spiraling to her mental state. Head injuries were dangerous. He'd seen enough good men turned into children by a seemingly harmless crack to the skull. And Jennifer had bled enough to leave her entire shirtfront stained.

She had a brilliance that shone inside her. To know it may have been tainted…or heavens help them…taken away…left him feeling lost and forgotten.

He cursed himself for not knowing sooner.

He should have known something was wrong.

He should have known she was in trouble.

How long had she hung there? Had she called for him?

The thoughts scattered when Sheppard moved into view. Ronon stepped forward, the Major at his side. John angled his chin, directing them to follow him into one of the corners.

"They're going to be fine," John began. "Blood loss so they'll be a little weak, and sure to have a hell of a headache when the drug wears off."

"Drug?" Evan raised his eyebrows.

Sheppard nodded. He ran his hand across the top of his head, leaving his hair into a spastic mess. "Rohypnol."

"Jesus…" Evan's head turned away, but not before Ronon saw raw pain. When the Major looked back, his expression was cold and hard.

"What is it?" Ronon didn't like the feeling worming its way up through his torso.

As Sheppard explained what the drug was, and how it was routinely used on Earth, Ronon felt as though the city herself was dropping out from beneath him.

Ronon stared at the closed door of the private room. He heard Sheppard's assurances that neither woman had been assaulted, but barely digested them. Until Jennifer told him otherwise, the information was conjecture.

He hadn't realized he'd moved until the door blocked his progress. He placed his palm against the cold metal, then curled his hand into a fist. He sent a silent message through to the woman on the other side. He would find the man who'd done this…

He turned to face equal parts of anger and understanding in the faces of the two men behind him.

_They_ would find the man who'd done this.

* * *

Laura woke first…and promptly broke the nose of Dr. Meyers who'd had the unfortunate timing of leaning over her to check the gauze at the back of Laura's neck.

After hearing the doctor's exclamation of pain and surprise, Marie came through the door at a run.

Laura was standing next to the bed, barely holding herself upright as she stared wide eyed at the sprawled Doctor.

Dr. Meyers clambered to his feet with the help of the security team.

"Get him some help," Marie ordered, leaving the two Marines take the cursing Doctor outside.

She turned towards Laura, grabbing her before the young Lieutenant collapsed. Marie guided Laura back onto the bed and helped her lean back against the pillows.

"God…" Laura croaked, clamping her hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. "I feel like shit."

"Easy," Marie reseated the blankets around the Lieutenant.

Laura struggled to sit up. "Jen!"

"She's fine," Marie pushed Laura back down. She pointed to the bed on the opposite side of the room where Jennifer lay, still sleeping off the effects of the drug.

"Shit," Laura cursed, flopping back against the pillows. "She okay?"

"She's fine." Marie ignored the commotion and raised voices coming from the corridor outside the room. She quickly checked Laura's vitals, glad to see everything was within reasonable parameters for the situation. "I'll be right back," she patted Laura's hand. "Don't move."

Laura groaned and closed her eyes. Marie wasn't sure it was an agreement, but it would have to do.

Stepping out of the room she glanced at the gathered group. The Colonel stepped forward. Marie held up her hand, palm forward, halting both the man and his two shadows.

"What happened?" Colonel Sheppard asked.

"As you can probably see," she glanced quickly to where Dr. Meyers was being attended to by two of the nurses. "Lieutenant Cadman is awake."

Their shared relief was brief.

"Dr. Keller?" Ronon stepped forward.

"Still sleeping but I'm sure she'll be awake soon," Marie assured him.

"Can we see her?" the Major moved to stand next to the Colonel's other arm.

Marie held up her hand, digits extended. "Five minutes."

The trio nodded their agreement. Marie stationed herself in the doorway as the men moved slowly into the room.

"Oh yay," Laura's mouth quirked at their approach. "The welcoming committee's here. What, no balloons?"

"How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" Sheppard asked.

"Like I missed a hell of a party," she quipped half-heartedly.

Marie wasn't surprised to note Laura's attention seemed to linger longer with the Major than the others. They may have been discreet, but to a trained observer like Marie, the subtle hints stood out like a neon sign.

"What do you remember?" the Colonel was asking.

As Laura relayed what she could about the attack, Ronon moved away to stand next to Jennifer's bed. Marie watched the tentative way he reached for the doctor's hand, touching briefly before pulling back to curl his fingers into a tight fist.

She'd seen the way the two interacted, looking when the other wasn't, staring when they thought they were unobserved. Maybe this would finally give them both the push they needed to admit what everyone else in the infirmary already suspected.

John turned towards her, his eyebrows raised in question. Marie held up two fingers. The Colonel nodded towards Ronon, who'd returned to Laura's bedside. Sheppard clamped his hand on the Major's shoulder. "Two minutes," he said briskly, then retreated to the door.

Ronon followed him into the hallway. Marie took her cue and left the Lieutenant and the Major to a few minutes of privacy.

* * *

Evan reached for Laura's hand. He pressed her cool fingers between his. She looked so pale. Nothing like the fiery hellcat he knew she was. A dozen different emotions coursed through his veins, starting with guilt. _I should have known, damn it!_

"Hey. Don't be going all mushy on me…" she ordered softly, squeezing his fingers.

"Sorry. Won't happen again."

"Better not," she nodded. Then she wrinkled her nose. "How's Doctor Meyers?"

Evan couldn't help the smile. "Broken nose and a new found fear for sleeping redheads."

"I didn't mean it…" she mumbled. "He just…surprised me."

Evan reached down and moved a lock of hair off her forehead. "Hell….I'm sorry, Red." He couldn't decide on how to put the emotions into any kind of apology that made any sense.

"Stop," she reached for his hand and pressed his palm against her cheek. "This had nothing to do with you."

"But—"

"But nothing," she interrupted. "If anything this is my fault for dragging Jen down there in the first place." She rolled her head to peer at her sleeping friend.

"Why were you down there, anyway?" Evan asked, curious as to why she'd chosen that particular end of the city.

"Music," she said simply. "That room plays the most beautiful music, Ev. I just wanted to show her…but I guess…I guess…"

"Hey," he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Now who's being a guilt-hog?"

She smiled briefly, her eyes scanning his.

"What?" he asked softy.

"She's going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah. You're _both_ going to be okay." He leaned down and kissed her, savoring the brief touch. "I should go before Marie sends in the hounds."

She nodded, letting him pull away. He walked towards the door.

"Evan?" she called softly.

He turned.

"When you find him," she lifted her head, "I call dibs."

Evan took a deep breath, relieved to see a brief flash of fire in her eyes. _There's my girl_….

"You got it," he lied. Because when Evan finished, there wouldn't be enough pieces of her attacker left for anyone to claim.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: I'm not a medical person of any standing, so if I have any terminology wrong, my mistake. :) - Nika_**

* * *

Jen's first thought was that she really needed to stop drinking tequila with Laura.

Her second thought, slightly scattered and a lot more intense, was the memory that there was no tequila involved.

A sudden panic that she needed to run…to move…to escape something dark and evil spurned her limbs into action. She jerked against whatever was holding her arms and legs, rolling hard to the side. Her eyes snapped open at the same time.

The room layout lighting reflected back at her along with the sense of familiarity. Her mind tried to separate the location from the fear but her body had already moved too far to the side. She tumbled off the bed with a squawk of surprise and landed unceremoniously on her side.

"Nice dismount," a familiar voice snickered.

Jen squinted up at Laura, who gingerly lowered herself to the floor. Rolling on to her side, Jen accepted Laura's hand, letting her friend pull her into a seated position.

Jen leaned back against the side of the bed. "Damn," she mumbled, closing her eyes against the crazy spinning.

"It gets better," Laura responded, sitting beside her. "Sort of."

Cracking her eyes open, Jen glanced at her friend. "You look like shit," she muttered, eyeing Laura's uncharacteristically pale complexion with concern.

Laura shrugged, then winced. "You're not exactly model material yourself, Blondie."

Clamping one hand against her forehead, Jen attempted to keep her pounding brain from drilling a hole through the front of her skull. She lifted the other hand towards the gauze behind Laura's neck.

"Ow," Laura made a face and pulled away. "Play with your own boo-boo."

Jen rubbed her fingers lightly across her own bandage. She hissed when the tender area throbbed at the added pressure. Her shoulders ached, bringing back the memory of being held upright. She turned her hands over, examining the raw stripe of skin circling each wrist. She reached for Laura's hand, turning her friends wrist around to view the matching wounds.

"What the hell happened?" she asked, releasing Laura's hand.

Laura shook her head. "I don't know. All I've got is pieces. The room…killer headache….darkness…someone trying to drown me with a water bottle. I got a good hit in though," she half smiled.

"You did?"

Laura nodded, then shrugged. "At least I think I did. Hell…I don't know." She massaged her temples. "Maybe. What do you remember?"

"Bits and pieces. Someone trying to rip my head off…"

Laura snorted in agreement.

"Hanging by my hands…." Jen slotted the fragments together, searching for more meaning than the pieces relayed. "And water…" she finished.

Laura nodded. "Yeah. That about sums it up. Head bashing, hanging, and water. Well now that that's settled…" she scowled.

"Do you think they know who did it?"

Laura shook her head. "The Justice League was here about an hour ago. They were hoping _we_ knew."

Wanting concrete information, Jen half rose and reached around Laura to grab for the medical chart hanging off the end of her bed. Atlantis may have the technology, but her Earth-trained staff still insisted on paperwork. She settled back down onto the floor beside Laura and flipped the cover off the chart. She scanned Dr. Meyers notes, relieved to see nothing unusual. Then a word that jumped off the page, incredibly out of place. She blinked, squinted, and re-read it. It had to be wrong.

She flipped to the toxicology report.

There it was again.

Her heart skipped a few beats, adding pressure to the headache. When she hit the last page of the report, her breath caught. Every horrifying thought she could ever have come up with ended with the title of the test. She clamped her hand over her mouth, eyes locking on the last word.

_Negative_.

"What?" Laura asked.

Jen stared at her friend. Dear God. _They'd run a rape kit? _

"What?" Laura repeated.

"Get me your chart…" Jen exhaled the order, barely able to form the words.

Laura didn't hesitate. She scrambled up, swayed, grabbed the footboard for support, then pushed herself across the room. She returned, thrusting the chart into Jen's hands.

"What is it?" Laura asked, flopping down beside Jen, trying to read over her shoulder.

Jen flipped through Laura's chart.

_Rohypnol. _

_Rape kit._

"Come on, J…you're scaring me…"

Jen shook her head and grabbed Laura's wrist. "Laura...."

"What!?" Laura croaked. "I'm dying? You're dying? What?!"

Understanding that both tests were negative drowned under the shock that they'd needed the tests run in the first place. Jen shoved the report towards Laura. "They ran a rape kit…" she whispered. "On both of us."

"W-what?" Laura snatched the clipboard. She ran her fingers across the page, pausing near the bottom. "Negative…" Laura said aloud. "It came back negative. Thank god." Then her head snapped up and she stared hard at Jen.

Jen nodded. "Negative."

"Jesus, J." Laura's arms sank, the clipboard landing with a thunk on the floor in front of her. She stared at Jen, her eyes wide and unblinking. "Why?"

Jen looked down at her own chart. "Rohypnol."

"The date rape drug?" Laura ran a shaking hand through her tangled curls.

Jen nodded. "Yeah."

Laura sank back against the side of the bed. She stared at a spot on the wall. Jen slumped, pressing her shoulder against Laura's, looking for reassurance in the contact.

"I don't remember…" Laura exhaled.

"Me either." Jen pulled her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her legs she hugged herself tightly.

"Fuck," Laura hissed, rubbing her hand across her forehead. "They don't just…give those things out willy-nilly, do they…"

"No. Only if they have a reason to suspect…you know." Jen squeezed her eyes closed, fighting the urge to cry. It was too much on top of everything else. She was too tired, to taxed, to weak to deal with this kind of news. This kind of situation. Yes they were negative. Yes nothing happened. But it didn't stop the feelings of horror and fright from balling up in her abdomen. She dropped her head to her knees.

Beside her, Laura remained motionless, and unnaturally quiet. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Jen rolled her head to the side and looked over at her friend. Laura was sitting motionless, staring at a spot on the wall. Her hands, lying stiffly in her lap, clenched and unclenched in a rhythmic pattern.

Jen reached out, stilling Laura's fingers.

Laura looked over, surprising Jen with the clarity in her expression. There was no worry. No fear. Nothing but a stilling calm.

Jen lifted her head.

"You know I'd never let anyone hurt you…" Laura said softly.

"I know."

"I'm going to get this guy, J."

"_We'll_ get this guy." She squeezed Laura's hand.

"He's going to pay for this."

"We don't even know what _this_ is."

Laura looked down at the charts on the floor at their feet. "We know enough."

"Yeah...I supposed we do." Jen chewed on her bottom lip. "So what now?"

Laura scowled. "Now we get us out of here so I can kill someone."

"Laura…" Jen admonished, but her heart wasn't really in it. Right now the small-town girl in her was overpowering the CMO.

Laura dropped her arm around Jen shoulder and hugged her tightly. "No one messes with my best girl."

Jen hugged her back, faking a light tone. "So does this mean we're officially dating?"

Laura snorted and released her. Then the smile faded as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry."

"Don't." Jen ordered softly. "Don't go there."

"But if I hadn't taken you down there—"

"—then it would have either happened somewhere else, or to some _one_ else."

Laura blinked. "You don't think—"

"I don't know what to think." Jen shook her head. "I mean…knowing my luck?" she shrugged and half-smiled. "It's some crazy ass alien entity who thinks I have the answer to life the universe and everything."

Laura's eyes narrowed.

"What?" Jen frowned. "You didn't see Hitchhiker's—"

"—I saw it." Laura continued to stare at her, making Jen shift uncomfortably. "I also saw cases. Big silver cases. They weren't there last time."

Jen entertained a vague recollection of large silver transport cases right before the lights were so painfully extinguished. "Yeah," she nibbled her bottom lip. "About a dozen of them? In the corner?"

"You didn't happen to recognize them?"

Jen snorted. "Sorry, was too busy trying to keep my head attached."

Laura's expression shifted, giving her a distant, pensive look.

"Oh no you don't," Jen exhaled.

"Don't what?"

"I know that look."

"What look?"

"The _I'm going to do something I'm not supposed to be doing_ look."

"Who me?" Laura smiled, and scrambled to her feet. She exhaled sharply and grabbed for the footboard. "Whoo. Okay standing fast equals bad idea."

Jen pushed herself up, her legs wobbling. She grabbed Laura's wrist. "Where are you going?"

"To check out those cases."

"No you're not!" Jen held up her hand when Laura opened her mouth to protest. "Not without me you're not."

"You're not going anywhere, Lucky Luke." Laura's eyes narrowed. "It's too dangerous."

"Oh and it's not for you, Miss _I'm so skilled I didn't hear the guy with the baseball bat_?"

Laura pouted. "It wasn't a baseball bat. And stop trying to change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject, and I'm not changing my mind either."

"You're not going," Laura said firmly.

"Neither are you."

"Neither one of you is going anywhere!" Marie announced, stepping into the room. She glared at Laura. "I leave you alone for 10 minutes and you're already causing trouble."

"She wasn't—" Jen began.

"I didn't—" Laura sputtered.

"Bed." Marie held up her hand. "Now. Both of you."

Jen caught sight of a security team stationed in the hallway outside the door. Laura glared. Both men quickly averted their eyes and returned to their stationary position.

The two patients shared a glance. Bodyguards were a bad sign. Fully armed bodyguards was a _really_ bad sign.

"Do I need to call Colonel Sheppard and tell him you're disobeying a direct order?" Marie threatened, when neither woman moved. She gently gripped Laura's upper arm and guided the Lieutenant back towards her bed.

"No," Laura sighed. She flopped into her bed and yanked the covers up.

"And you," Marie swung back towards Jen. "You should know better."

"But—"

"But nothing." Marie chastised. "Don't make me call Mr. Woolsey."

"You wouldn't…" Jen eyed her head nurse warily.

"Try me."

Jen sighed. "Fine." She dropped onto the bed, secretly relieved to be off her feet. Her head was spinning like a circus ride.

Marie waited for her to lay down before pulling the blankets up. She quickly checked Jen's vitals. Seemingly satisfied, she nodded, then leaned down. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered.

Jen smiled. "Me too."

"Me three," Laura chimed in.

Marie straightened and walked out of the room. "Corporal Brooks," she addressed the man on the right.

He stepped forward. "Ma'am?"

"If either one of them so much as moves before I get back, put them both in restraints."

Brooks' gaze shifted from Jen to Laura.

Jen snickered when Laura smiled wickedly.

"Is there a problem, Corporal?" Marie asked, her hands on her hips.

"Ma'am. No Ma'am." Brooks shook his head quickly. "No problem."

"Good." Marie stepped out of the room. "Keep it that way."


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Richard Woolsey surveyed the group gathered in his office—Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne, Dr. McKay, and Ronon. Granted, the area was small by meeting room standards, but it should have been sufficient to house five people for a briefing. Yet oddly enough, the current spacing left him feeling a little claustrophobic. There was something in the energy level that made his glass walls feel a lot less like a spacious office, and more like a tiny goldfish bowl.

He reseated his glasses and nodded towards Colonel Sheppard. "So you _don't_ think this was a personally directed attack?"

John tipped his head. "At this point we're not ruling anything out, but it looks more like a crime of opportunity." He shook his head. "Both women confirmed they told no one where they were going."

"The apparent music room?" Richard queried.

Next to John, Rodney nodded. "It's actually quite an acoustical accomplishment. The room is completely soundproof when sealed. The user simply selects their music of choice…well…Ancient music, of course, although I'm sure I could—"

"Facts, McKay," John interrupted.

"It's a music room," Rodney stated.

"And this music room has no other purpose other than to play music?" Richard asked, wondering if paranoia came with the job, or just the location. Heavens knew this city held Her own share of secrets. A music room on the outside could have very different connotations on the inside.

Dr. McKay was shaking his head. "It's just a music room."

"We think," Sheppard uncrossed his arms and stuffed his hands into his front pockets, "this has something to do with the supply cases."

Richard glanced at the briefing report on the desk in front of him. "The silver transport cases?" He looked at the group for confirmation.

"Both Dr. Keller and Lieutenant Cadman reported seeing silver transport cases in the room," Major Lorne reported. "There were no cases there when we arrived."

Richard's gaze shifted to the Major. "And we're sure their memory isn't just—"

"They _both_ saw them," Ronon said firmly.

"Very well," Richard forced his voice into a calm and diplomatic tone. There was a little too much tension in the room. He reminded himself to tread lightly and avoid any emotional explosions. "Has anyone reported a theft?"

"Nothing's been reported missing." Rodney lifted one shoulder then let it drop. "But that doesn't really surprise me. Things could be missing and we just don't know about it. With a city this size, and the number of unexplored rooms, we're talking hundreds of thousands of possibilities."

In this case, Richard understood the math. It was impossible to know what was in the cases.

"But," Rodney continued, "while there's nearly unlimited possibilities on what someone could possibly want to hide, there's limited possibilities on what they could store them in."

Richard blinked. "The cases?"

Rodney smirked. "The cases."

"Do we know what was in the cases?" Richard asked hopefully.

The scientist shook his head. He pulled out his tablet and made a few quick jabs at the screen. "We have…exactly…two thousand, three hundred and seventy four cases matching the size and description of the ones Dr. Keller and Lieutenant Cadman say they saw. And an additional three thousand, seven hundred and six cases of alternate sizes and dimensions, bringing our grand total to six thousand and eighty."

"Cases?" Richard asked, surprised. "In the city?"

"It's actually quite reasonable considering the supplies delivered from the Daedalus, the number of personnel, equipment requisitions, the—"

"Okay," John interrupted. "We get it. We have a lot of stuff."

"So how do we know which of the…six thousand…" Richard trailed off and glanced at Dr. McKay.

"…six thousand and eighty cases…" Rodney prompted.

Richard nodded his appreciation, and continued. "…six thousand and eighty cases missing?"

Rodney snorted. "They're spread out all over the city. Storage rooms, personnel quarters, the mess hall, labs…" The scientist shook his head. "There's no way to tell who has what, where or why."

"They aren't inventoried?" Richard thought the question should be self explanatory, but the sheepish look on the scientist's face told him all he needed to know. "They aren't inventoried…" he sighed.

"We put trackers on our people...not the supplies." Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes they're inventoried…just not…all of them."

"How many?" John asked.

"Four thousand six hundred and sixty two," Rodney stated.

"So that leaves…" Richard prompted.

"One thousand four hundred and eighteen unaccounted for," John finished.

Richard sighed. "So we don't really know anything other than someone attacked two female members of our expedition, and it may, or may not, have anything to do with…something…in storage cases which could be anywhere in a city the size of Manhattan."

"Pretty much," John nodded, his frustration clearly evident in the set of his shoulders.

"Okay," Richard took a moment to collect his thoughts. He looked down at the unfinshed report on his desk. He couldn't send it through to the SGC in its current state. It held water about as well as a sieve. "What are our next steps?"

"We have teams scanning the level near the music room, searching for anything out of place," John began. "McKay and Zelenka are going to work on cross referencing inventory lists with storage rooms to see if anything comes up missing. When the Daedalus returns we'll use their cargo lists as a backup to see if anything's being moved that shouldn't be."

"You think someone's stealing?" Richard made the connection quickly. If the person was removing items from the city, the only likely destination would be Earth.

"Caldwell's not going to like knowing he's a pack mule," Evan stated.

"No, not if this is what..._this_ is all about…" Richard placed his palms on his desk on either side of the report and pushed himself to his feet. He hesitated to ask the question which was rolling around in his mind. In the end he relented and let the words out. "Having said that... what if this was, in all actuality, a personal attack?"

"We're covering that angle as well," John said firmly. "Marie will be working with Rodney and Radek to cross reference all personnel reports and psyche evaluation for any red flags."

Richard considered then dismissed any rules of propriety when it came to having the scientists accessing personnel files. At this point, he had to go with the majority. "How long with that take?"

"Hours…" Rodney shrugged. "Days. There's no way of knowing."

"Aren't Dr. Keller and Lieutenant Cadman are being released tonight?" Richard felt a tingle of warning across the base of his skull. If this was a personal attack, was it wise letting the unsuspecting women back into the city? While the Lieutenant seemed more than able to take care of herself, the city's CMO required a little backup.

Hell…a lot of backup.

John's gaze shifted from Evan, to Ronon, then back to Richard. "They'll be well protected."

"Security detail?" Richard frowned. He hadn't seen any requests for any specialized assignments.

John shook his head. His expression was closed, but the challenge in his gaze suggested Richard didn't really want to know the answer. The less he knew, the less he could be challenged by the IOA at a later date. He sighed. "Very well, Colonel. I trust you'll keep things…under control?"

"Don't I always?"

* * *

Jen sat alone in the empty room. Through the open door she could hear the evening shift moving quietly through the late night routines. She tried to seek comfort in the soft sounds and familiar scents of antiseptic and alcohol, but the grip of the report still clung too tightly.

She couldn't stop thinking about it.

She tried to come up with something to play it against, but nothing in her life had come close to leaving the same kind of hollow feeling. She'd feared the Bola Kai might resort to rape for a confession, but they'd been content with just hitting, so the feeling was quickly lost beneath the pain of having a fist connect with her face. Looking back, she supposed that was the closest she'd ever come to being worried about _that_.

She was a single doctor on a military base with an almost eight to one ratio of men to women. She'd been kissed. She'd been groped. She'd been propositioned. Each incident left her feeling a little off kilter, but never before had she felt this horribly disconnected. Sure somewhere in the back of her mind the worry was always present. Hell, it was for any woman, she supposed. On Earth. In Pegasus. It's all you ever heard about as a young woman. Stranger danger. Paranoia. Don't take rides from strangers. Don't leave your drink unattended. Chain emails and urban myths. News, television, movies. Kidnapping, rape and murder.

But never had she ever considered it as a possibility _here_. Not in the city. Not in _her_ city. This was her home. Her sanctuary.

And yes. Okay. Fine. The tests had been negative. She'd thoroughly read through the results line by line by repeated line. She'd even quizzed Marie for all the pertinent details. There was no evidence what-so-ever to support even the tiniest of hint that anything had happened. No gut feeling that it was true. No pain. No ache. Nothing other than the empty hole in her mind.

Because she couldn't remember.

And that was the root of the problem.

Maybe if she could _remember_ nothing happened she wouldn't feel hell bent _to_ remember nothing happened.

Jen lifted her feet to the seat of the chair and hugged her legs tightly against her chest. Resting her chin on her knees she stared at a random pattern on the floor.

She really should get going…

She peered at the empty bed across the room. Laura had all but bolted the minute Evan had shown up with a clean set of BDU's. She'd left so fast Evan practically had to run to catch up to her.

Jen didn't blame her friend. She couldn't. Laura made an even worse patient than Ronon. The thought that made her smile…if only for a moment.

Jen truly had intended on following Laura's escape plan.

She'd changed.

Dressed.

Put on shoes.

Yet somehow she couldn't seem to make the final leap into freedom.

Sleeping in the warmth and comfort of her own bed instead of a hard packed mattress in a noisy infirmary…her own pillow…her own bathroom…no interruptions…no excitement…no…_people_.

She rolled her forehead back and forth across the top of her knees.

_Yeah. Okay. Fine. Miss I'm so independent I can travel across the galaxy except I don't want to go back to my room alone._

"That's showing them who's boss," she mumbled into her legs.

She yawned.

Sleep sounded like a really good idea. And there just so happened to be an empty bed right beside her. A bed that technically was in a room she could have to herself without theoretically being left alone…

Yeah. Because that would be the brave thing to do.

And she was nothing if not brave.

She sighed into the tops of her legs.

She really should get going…

* * *

_Standing in the shadows, he glared at the young Lieutenant as she hurried down the hallway in the company of Major Lorne. _

_He cursed under his breath. He'd understood she was a Marine when he'd heard the Colonel's city wide page. But he hadn't known just which Marine the redhead was until the chatter started later this afternoon. Now he was going to have to deal with the suspicions of the top explosives expert this side of the Milky Way. _

_He knew it was only a matter of time before he'd have to remove the two women from the equation. _

_They'd seen the cases._

_The sudden interest in inventory confirmed that little tidbit. _

_But what he didn't know was just what part of the cases they had seen. It irked him…if only a little…that he couldn't remember if he put the cases in the room with the logo facing out, or in. A stupid mistake. A rookie mistake. He'd gotten sloppy in his time here. __A error in judgment he would not repeat. From now on, it would be business only. He'd gotten enough through to leave his next five generations disgustingly wealthy. He was a gambler, yes. But even he knew when it was time to fold._

_He would see this hand through to the finish, then count his chips and walk away._

_And as part of the final round, he needed to rid himself of the competition. Or in this case… the witnesses._

_The Doctor was easy. Young and unsuspecting. Quiet. Kept to herself. A few friends, but no significant other. A woman with such a gentle nature. One he would most definitely use to his advantage when the time came. _

_But the redhead...the redhead would require a little more...finesse._

_With a shrug he moved off down the hallway in the opposite direction. Finesse he could do._

_He was nothing if not resourceful._


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! The plot bunnies made me scrap the original chapter and re-write it. :) - Nika**

* * *

Jen snapped upright, fueled by adrenaline and wrapped in the frightening wisps of the nightmare. She clutched the blankets to her chest, relaxing only as the edges of the dream faded with the recognition of her own quarters.

"Shit…" She flopped backwards onto the pillows. Blinking up at the ceiling, she took several deep breaths, letting her racing heartbeat slide slowly back into a less sporadic rhythm.

She curled on her side, snuggling deeper into the blankets. Morbidity got the better of her and she tried to remember the dream, but the only element she could clearly visualize had something to do with Laura.

Twenty minutes later she eyed the clock on her nightstand and scowled. Apparently she'd had just enough sleep to ruin any thoughts of returning to dreamland. Not that dreamland was playing nicely at the moment.

She rolled onto her back.

She'd been ordered off duty for forty eight hours… so her usual therapy of melting her brain doing inventory requisitions was out. And Marie would bar her from the infirmary if she tried to slip into her office.

Jen sat up and eyed the black reflective screen of her computer. She could finish watching a DVD, but _Supernatural_ was probably not a good idea for a post-nightmare, pre-sleeping video choice. If she were back on Earth she'd be on the couch flipping channels, but for all its advanced technology, Pegasus was sorely lacking in cheesy late-night TV re-runs.

She glanced at the clock.

Five A.M.

There was at least an hour to kill before the kitchen would be serving breakfast. She decided on the only logical course of action. Walking it off.

Ten minutes later she stepped into the dimly lit corridor. A brief hesitation caused her steps to falter, but she shoved the feeling off with a disillusioned snort. There was absolutely no reason to be thinking anything about anything. She'd done this a hundred times. In fact, she was such a regular at it, the security teams no longer questioned her motive or directions.

Jen started to smile at the thought that she'd become a regular staple of the early morning hallways, but a shadow lurched around the corner and she jerked to the side with a startled squawk.

"Where do you think you're going?" Laura stopped beside her, trying for a scowl but ending with a snarky smile.

Jen slapped her friend across the upper arm. "Dammit, Spaz! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," Laura shrugged, clearly not feeling the slightest bit apologetic.

"What are you doing here? It's five in the morning?"

Laura looked down at her comfortable clothing and well loved Nike's. "I'm off to the theatre. How about you?"

Jen rolled her eyes. "I mean, what are you doing _here_…"

"Picking you up?" Laura wrinkled her nose. "Figured you might want some company."

"Uh, huh." Jen nodded slowly. "Psychic now?"

"Nope. Not unless it's catching…" Laura tipped her chin to something over Jen's shoulder.

Jen turned and collided with a solid body mass. She stumbled back with a jerk and looked up into Ronon's bemused expression.

Laura's snickered.

"Not you, too…" Jen frowned.

"I was in the area?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at Laura.

"He followed me home…" Laura batted her eyelashes. "Can I keep him? I promise I'll feed him and let him play with knives…"

"I don't need you two babysitting me."

"Who said anything about babysitting?" Laura backed down the hallway. "I'm just out for a stroll."

"And what's your excuse?" she looked up at Ronon.

"Killing time 'til breakfast."

Jen snorted. "You're a terrible liar."

He raised one shoulder then dropped it.

"Fine," she sighed, "you can both come along, but on one condition…" she walked towards Laura and held up her index finger.

"What?" Laura eyed her suspiciously.

"You're it!" Jen smacked Laura across the side of the head then jumped into an all out run down the corridor.

* * *

"I just want to look around," Jen pushed past Laura and headed down the empty hallway of L18.

"J," Laura cautioned, "I don't really think this is a good idea."

"Oh come on. You were the one who was all hell bent on breaking out of the infirmary to come check things out."

"That was yesterday."

Jen stopped when a firm grip on her upper arm stopped her and Ronon stepped in front to block her path. She opened her mouth to argue out the dozens of reasons bouncing around in her head as to why she'd come this way, why she wanted to see the room, why she needed to face the ghosts, but all she could come up with was, "move."

She knew she wouldn't have been this brave if not for her two companions. Laura was a friend to the fullest extent, and would probably follow her to hell if she asked, but right now it was Ronon who gave her the courage to carry out her request. She couldn't see much of his expression in the darker light of the lower level, but judging from his silence he didn't appreciate her command. On the other side, Laura shifted her weight.

Jen turned toward her friend. "Don't you want to know?"

"Yes, of course I do, but—"

"But what?" Jen narrowed her eyes. Realization washed over her. "You were already down here, weren't you?"

Laura shifted her weight. "No…I…"

"Liar." Jen scowled. "How come you didn't wait for me? Never mind!" she held up her hand, palm forward.

"There was nothing there," Laura protested.

"Good. Then there's no reason I can't see it, is there?"

Laura looked as though she were seeking just about any reason to keep Jen out of the room, but she remained silent.

Jen turned towards Ronon, who was still blocking her path. "Please," she said.

For a brief moment she felt a twist of worry that there really was something in the room she shouldn't see…but he stepped aside. She looked away before he could see her surprise. She approached the opening to the outer room, her bravado stalling when she reached the doorway. A hand landed on her shoulder, firm and warm. She glanced up into Ronon's closed expression.

"Me first." He extracted his blaster from behind his back.

Jen had no issue with being second in this case.

After Ronon acknowledged both rooms were clear, Jen stepped inside. Laura slid her hands over the controls, bringing the lights up to a proper level. The walls, floors and ceiling décor were the standard. Jen turned in a complete circle. It was just a big, empty room.

"Well, duh." Laura walked towards her. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "Aliens. Zombies. Something. Anything. Other than well… nothing."

She turned towards the smaller room and the location of the 'incident'. She stopped in the doorway and made a face at Laura, who was standing beside her. "Isn't this what got us into trouble in the first place?"

Laura snorted. "Yeah, but last time we didn't expect the unexpected. And…this time we brought more muscle," Laura winked, "literally."

Jen glanced over her shoulder at Ronon, who was standing a few feet to the side, watching her intently. She blinked. More muscle? _True enough_. And if she'd been with Ronon last time…she wouldn't be here this time. That much she knew for certain. The longer she looked at him, the more certain she became that his purpose in the hallway outside her room this morning wasn't a coincidence, nor was the fact that he was jogging armed She shifted her attention briefly to the blaster he gripped then back up to his face. He raised an eyebrow, part questioning, part challenging. She briefly closed her eyes. _Of course he was there for a reason, dummy._ When she opened them again he was smirking. She groaned at her own stupidity. She shook her head and turned back to Laura, who was biting the inside of her cheek in an obvious attempt to keep from laughing..

"What?"

Laura shook her head. "I didn't say a thing."

"Come on." Jen stepped into the dark room beyond. Using the ambient light flowing in from the room behind, she walked slowly forward. She circled, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. She knew Ronon had already looked in the room, but her mind and imagination couldn't agree on the facts. On one hand, it was an empty room without lights. On the other side, it was a dark scary opening with Boogeyman sized shadows.

She clenched her teeth together and stepped up to the console in the middle of the floor. Squinting in the dim light, she eyed the control panel.

"Geeze, J. Now you want to hear the music?"

Jen reached out. A hand clamped down on her wrist, freezing the motion. Her index finger hovered in the air.

"You sure?" Ronon asked, slowly releasing her.

She nodded and pushed the button. Wall panels began to glow, slowly rising in luminance until the room was bathed in a soft yellow light.

"Ancient symbol for 'lights'." She pointed to the button.

"Smart ass," Laura muttered, stooping to pick up a discarded piece of rope.

Jen joined her in the corner. Laura turned and twisted the yellow cord, then handed it to Jen. "It's standard stuff."

Jen ran her finger over the course threads, her gaze shifting to the purpling bruise running along the inside of her wrist. Standard rope…used in a non-standard method. She let the cord fall to the floor.

"It doesn't make any sense," she followed Laura's gaze to ornamental piping running low across the ceiling. Pipes she'd been hung from using the rope at her feet.

Laura shook her head slowly, and turned to face Jen. "No, it doesn't."

"No one knew we were coming, right?"

Laura shook her head.

"So it couldn't have been directed at one," Jen surmised, "or both of us personally, could it?"

"I doubt it."

What I don't understand," Jen continued, "is why the drug? Why the thing with the clothes? It doesn't make any sense. He had to know someone would figure out we were missing eventually. Why go to all that trouble and then not do anything?"

"Bad planning?" Laura yanked her pony tail free and ran her fingers through her hair. She scratched her scalp, then sighed in exasperation. "I don't know. Maybe he ran out of time? Or he saw the security teams and couldn't…_finish_."

Icy fingers shivered down Jen's spine. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She watched Laura's guarded expression, finding the same trace of confusion and anger she knew was probably reflected back in her own eyes.

The thought that whoever had done this might be planning more…

"Hey," Laura interrupted the turn of her thoughts. "Don't worry. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

"Yeah," Jen nodded, feeling anything but positive.

"If it helps," Laura turned to face the back corner of the room, "I don't think this was about us."

"You think it's about the cases," Jen followed her friends gaze to the blank wall.

"Here, then gone?" Laura squatted and ran the tips of her fingers across a long scratch in the smooth tile floor. After a brief pause she stood and faced Jen. "It's the only thing that makes sense out of this whole mess. We both saw them…but they were gone when the cavalry arrived. It has to be about the cases."

"So what do we do now?"

"Now?" Laura hooked her arm through Jen's, and turned her towards the door. "Now we go for breakfast."

* * *

_Damn nosey bitches. Couldn't just leave it alone. First the redhead, then the blonde. What was it with the women out here? They'd been cracked and strung up. Most women would have gone running home to mommy. But not these two Nancy Drews._

_He argued internally, debating the merits of moving up his timetable. Kill them now and get it over with. If it were solely up to him, he'd have it over and done with and be home for dinner. Unfortunately, his ride was another 3 weeks away, and he still had one more case to fill. _

_He hated unfinished business as much as he hated loose ends._

_No, no. No need to bring out the big guns yet. In this neck of the galaxy, people ran into all kinds of trouble with every mission. Heck, if his luck held, Pegasus would take care of things without his input. And no one would be the wiser. _

_In the mean time, he'd take extra care with his actions. With the added scrutiny, travel cases were certainly to be watched with more diligence. He'd just have to be a little more careful._

_For now he'd bide his time. Wait. Watch. If they found nothing, he'd leave the original plan in place. Load the cases, kill the witnesses, and be tucked safely away in his berth on the Daedalus before anyone noticed. But if he found any indication they were closing in on his little operation…_

_The decision made, he straightened away from the balcony, smiling at the rising sun. Time to get to work. _

_After all, he had a lot to do today. _


	10. Chapter 10

Jen sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. Going through paperwork sucked no matter what end of the universe you were in. Her fingers brushed the roughness of the healing skin behind her ear. She made a face.

It had been almost a week and they were still no closer to finding any answers. It was damn frustrating. Not only because they were faced with so many unanswered questions, but because of the implications the not-knowing left behind.

The more she thought about it, and she'd thought about it a lot, the more Jen was convinced she and Laura had stumbled into the lair of a thief. It was the only conclusion she was willing to concentrate on. The notion that this was a personal attack was too uncomfortable to consider so she'd shoved it away and dedicated her free time to finding the missing cases. There were just too many variables pointing to disaster if someone was stealing tech or supplies of Ancient origin. So stock was being counted and accounted for, but with regular duties and the spastic demands of Pegasus, the search was going much slower than everyone would have liked.

Jen looked down at the stack of requisitions, then glanced at her monitor. A couple more hours and she'd be done cross referencing the medical deliveries for the last year. So far nothing was missing and no numbers seemed exaggerated. She'd flagged a few items to check on later, but for the most part, the entire delivery process looked like standard fare.

She jerked in her chair when a shadow fell across her desk, then laughed to realize it was Ronon. She had no right to be surprised. Not really. He'd practically been her shadow for the past five days.

"Sorry," he smirked.

"Yeah, yeah," she snorted, ignoring the added skip of her heartbeat. "What's up?"

He shifted his weight. "We're heading out soon."

"Right," Jen nodded her head slowly. She pushed herself out of her chair and leaned her hip against the side of her desk. "You guys are going to 218. They have the ah…" Jen's mind hiccupped on which particular crisis was on the books for today.

"Ancient weather machine. Apparently it's broken."

Jen smiled at his flat tone. "What, worried there'll be nothing to shoot at?"

He shrugged. "Could always shoot McKay."

"You're not shooting Rodney," she poked him in the chest. "And—" she held up her index finger when he opened his mouth to retort, "no shooting Colonel Sheppard either."

"Find anything?" he angled his chin towards the stack of papers on her desk.

Jen laughed at his blatant change of subject. "Nope," she waved her hand over the tall stack of completed requisitions. "Nothing yet, and I'm almost done. So far everything medical is accounted for. Laura and I are going to start going through the personnel requisitions after lunch. It's just so…daunting…you know? I can't help thinking someone who's that willing to…to...hurt people…can't possibly be up to any good."

"We'll find him."

"I hope you're right. There's too much technology here. Knowledge. In the wrong hands…"

"We'll find him," he repeated firmly.

"Okay," she relented. She bit the inside of her cheek, wishing she could steal his confidence. Suddenly, the thought of Ronon leaving the city didn't seem like such a good idea.

Ronon dropped his chin and leaned closer. "You going to be okay?"

She half smiled. "You mean…am I going to keep my head up and avoid any abnormal incidents for the whole _four hours_ you're gone?"

"Basically."

"I'll do my best."

He frowned, clearly not believing.

Jen smiled and grabbed his upper arms, pushing to turn him around. She giggled to know the only reason he turned with her was because he wanted to.

"Go," she ordered, pushing him out of her office. "I'll be fine."

"You know I could just tell Sheppard—"

"Nuh-uh," she chastised. "You're not getting out of going that easily, Mister. I'll be fine. Now go."

He gave her a sideways glance and mumbled something under his breath that sounded like '_better be_'.

* * *

"Seriously?" Laura dropped her elbow to the table and propped her chin against her palm. She stared at the inventory list displayed on the monitor in front of her. "We're going to be here for years…"

On the other side of the workbench, Jen sighed and rolled a kink out of her shoulders.

"How much stuff can people have?" Laura frowned disgustedly. "There's got to be like…seven crates per person, here!"

"Eight point six," Jen muttered, leaning closer to squint at the screen.

"So now what?" Laura frowned.

"Now we cross reference," Evan announced as he walked into the room. He dropped a stack of file folders on the desk beside Jen.

"Gee, thanks," Jen frowned at Evan. She pulled the top file off the pile. "There has to be…what…close to a hundred files here. These are _all_ personal requisitions?"

The Major nodded.

"On paper? Geeze, have none of you ever heard of using a computer?"

"Oh right…" Laura snatched the next file off the pile. "This coming from the woman who still writes medical advice with a pen."

"I have thirty staff members running three full time shifts who need access to information whether we have power or not," Jen frowned. "This…" she held up the top sheet from the file she was reading, "is two toothbrushes, a set of twin bed-sheets, and a case of Oreo cookies."

"Someone has Oreo cookies?" Laura made a grab for the page but Jen snapped it away.

"The point is, we now have to go through all of this stuff manually, instead of having Rodney run some kind of…"

"Algorithm?" Evan supplied.

Jen nodded. "But instead we have to…read."

"Welcome to the U.S. Marine Corps." Laura made a face. "Kill the enemy seven ways to Sunday but only after you fill out the paperwork."

"In triplicate," Evan added.

* * *

After nearly four hours of squinting at paperwork and monitors, Jen and Laura decided on a run to clear their muscles, and their minds. They'd finished the personnel requisitions, having just as much success as Jen had with the medical reports.

They found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Laura inhaled the salty scents of the ocean as they crossed the wide expanse of the north west pier. "So what's next?" she wondered aloud, talking over the rabid beat of Green Day playing in her left ear.

Beside her, Jen tipped her head. "We've covered weapons, equipment, medical and personnel. Last is tools and samples."

"Oooh, tools and samples," Laura repeated sarcastically.

"Well you asked. They're the only ones left. Everything else is accounted for."

"God, remind me to blackmail the guys into helping with those. If I have to spend four hours deciphering engineer-speak, I'm going to scream."

"Speaking of the boys, how'd you manage to get us out past curfew?"

"I had to swear I'd have you back by the time the street lights came on."

"What?" Jen laughed.

"Straight out, straight back. No detours, no lolly gagging, no stopping to smell the flowers…." Laura trailed off, smiling at the rest of promise she'd made to dump the bodyguard routine so she could have an hour of freedom. She'd pay for it later, but damn if it wouldn't be worth it. There were definite bonuses to dating a sexy Major.

"What _else_ did you promise?"

Laura wiggled her eyebrows.

"You're such a slut," Jen laughed.

"Yeah yeah," Laura grinned, "this coming from the woman hiding a serious case of hot and bothered."

"I do not!"

"You do, so. You're practically salivating every time he pops out of the shadows. And don't try acting all surprised…I see the look on your face. That googley eyed dreamy thing you do…"

Jen skipped a step and wacked Laura across the upper arm. "I am not googley eyed!"

"If it makes you feel any better, he does the same thing."

"He does not!"

"Oh please. Ronon hasn't let you out of his sight in five days. It's hard _not_ to notice."

"He's just being nice."

"Nice!" Laura laughed, wondering how someone who was so smart could be so blind. She loved her friend dearly, but some days the blonde definitely lived up to her hair colour. "Patting you on the top of your head and telling you to be careful is _nice_. Following you around like you're going to disappear if he takes his eyes off you is definitely more than nice."

"I'm so not talking about this right now."

"Oooh, so you admit there's something to talk about, later?"

"I do not!"

"Oh you will," Laura nodded knowingly. "You can't resist me."

Jen laughed and shook her head, refusing to take the bait.

They banked along the far lip of the pier, turning to cut across the extreme tip. Laura led the way down the stairs to the catwalk dangling out above the ocean. Attached to the side of the pier, the metal walkway hovered halfway between the surface of the pier and the surging tide.

Through the slats in the metal grating, Laura watched the white caps splashing against the hull thirty feet below.

The music in her ear shifted into the mix and she stumbled when she recognized the song. With a grimace she glanced over her shoulder at Jen who was jogging directly behind her.

"What?" Jen asked innocently.

"Bon Jovi?!" Laura made a face and scrambled to reach the iPod velcroed to her upper arm. "Good lord when did you make this mix? 1980?" Laura jabbed her finger at the iPod to change the song.

"Don't you be insulting Bon Jovi!" Jen narrowed her eyes. "And don't break my iPod."

"I'm not breaking it," Laura huffed when the next three songs were also Bon Jovi hits. "I'm trying to…stop…the…insanity! How can you listen to this crap?"

"Because I—gah!" A shrill clatter of metal above their heads sent Jen jerking back with a startled squeak. "What the hell?" A second clanging ping spit shards of metal dust off the side of the railing.

With an adrenaline fueled shock of recognition, Laura spun and dropped her weight.

_Someone was shooting at them!?_

"Get down!" she cried out, tackling her friend to the surface of the walkway.

"Laura!" Jen exclaimed, landing hard on the catwalk. "What are you—"

Laura winced when another bullet exploded metal shavings a foot above her head. Three thoughts went through her mind simultaneously.

_The shooter wasn't a pro._

_The shots were coming from the next pier._

_They were sitting ducks._

Laura slapped her hand against her com then wrapped her arms around Jen and rolled hard to the side. She caught the sudden understanding on Jen's face as she pulled her friend over her body and under the middle railing.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Jen tried to jerk away but Laura held firm.

"This is Cadman!" Laura yelled into the com, wincing as a sharp pain shot up her arm when she rolled over the iPod, "Taking fire on the north west pier! We're in the water!" she shouted as their combined weight dropped past the edge of the catwalk.

Jen's scream drowned out the rest of Laura's frantic message as they plunged the thirty feet into the ocean below.


	11. Chapter 11

Richard Woolsey nodded politely to the pair of scientists as he passed. He wondered if he'd ever manage to remember all the names of the lab-coat population of the city. Considering they had one name to remember…his…and he had several hundred to remember in return, he figured he was doing quite well considering many of the resident geniuses rarely ventured away from their laboratories.

He let the two gentlemen by, then continued forward, squinting at the upcoming intersection. Left was the transporter and right lead back to around to the main corridor. Or was that the other way around?

As he neared the intersecting corridor he stepped right, hesitated, turned left, paused, then turned back again. Pounding footsteps and shouted orders startled him out of his introspection. He jumped aside as two security teams careened around the corner, armed and moving at a full out run.

"Gentlemen! What—" he trailed off when the Marines disappeared around a corner heading in what he assumed was the direction of the transporter.

His agitation level spiked when two more teams sprinted across an intersection several yards back down the corridor he'd just exited. He spun around, moving to follow the new arrivals, then hesitated again when a fifth team ran full out behind him, disappearing down the intersecting hallway.

He reached for his earpiece but his fingers found only his ear. He check the other side of his head then cursed. He immediately pictured the exact location of his com system—sitting on the corner of his desk where he'd momentarily removed it to scratch a bothersome itch behind his right ear.

Hurrying off it what he hoped was the direction of the transporter, Richard prayed for sanity, calm, and the timely return of Colonel Sheppard's team.

Running, armed Marines was never…ever…a good sign.

* * *

Evan was halfway through a requisition report when Laura's shouting call was broadcast across the open military channel. He was over his desk and out the door by the time the screaming message was abruptly cut off in a hiss of static.

Dread tightened its clawing fingers around his throat. If they were on the surface level of the pier… The distance down to the water… A fall from that height would be fatal. He sent up a silent prayer they'd been on the lower catwalk.

He hit the hallway at a dead run, scrambling security teams and ordering a level one city wide lockdown.

His heart tried to break his concentration. He shoved it away. It was time for clarity. Not emotion. The thought of losing her—them—was not an option.

Smacking to a stop against the back wall of the transporter, he jabbed his thumb at the gate-room level while ordering SGA 9 and 12 to take jumpers and scan the towers overlooking the north west pier. He then commanded SGA7 to secure the jumper bay. Aside from 9, 12 and himself, no one was getting in…or out.

He exited the transporter with a sprinters leap, yelling for Chuck to instruct all non-essential personnel to remain out of the hallways.

He took the stairs to the jumper bay three at a time, nearly colliding with Sanchez who was coming in hard and fast from the other side. Running up the ramp of the nearest jumper, he slammed his hand down on the ramp control as he passed by, the Captain hot on his heels.

Evan launched himself into the cockpit of the jumper, willing the roof access to open as he reached for the controls. The jumper shot up and out into the clear blue sky. They banked a hard right then dropped down with the gut spilling speed of a roller coaster. After a close succession of turns through the lower towers they rocketed out across the surface of the north west pier.

* * *

Laura surfaced with a splash. Coughing, she shoved her wet hair away from her face. "Better?"

"Better," Jen nodded quickly. The frigid water stung her bare feet, but without the added weight of her shoes and socks, the motion of her legs was easier. "Thanks."

"Remember. Just like we practiced," Laura nodded encouragingly. "Breathe in and out through your nose and make steady motions."

Jen tried to breathe evenly but the adrenaline rush of being shot at, tackled, dragged off a catwalk and falling several floors into a shockingly cold ocean, was making lung control extremely difficult. She cursed Pegasus. Cursed the freezing ocean. And cursed the idiot who was using them for target practice.

The idiot who was still out there somewhere…

The rolling surge of the tide lifted and dropped, pulling them away from the towering sides of the pier. With the shadows of the city spires above, it felt like she was floating through downtown New York.

Laura's attention shifted away from Jen to the towers above. Jen tried to look up but the change in concentration caused her to drop below the surface. Panic spiked and she kicked frantically, trying to shove herself back up again.

She felt Laura's presence at her back. Water churned around her. Laura's arm clamped hard down across one shoulder, yanking her upwards. Jen's alarm gave way to recognition of the rescue position when they broke the surface. She sucked air into her lungs and released her clamping hold on Laura's arm.

"You good?" Laura asked from behind her.

Jen bobbled her head. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Laura released her and Jen resumed treading water on her own.

"Legs and arms," Laura instructed, swimming around so she could face Jen from the front. "Circles. Steady circles. Just like we practiced in the pool."

Jen repeated the instructions. "Circles, circles, circles," she chanted, fighting the burn in her limbs. Fear at the thought of still being a target, she stared wide eyed at her friend. "Are they gone?"

"Yeah," Laura answered.

"I hope they heard you," Jen wondered aloud, cursing the fall from the catwalk. The slamming pressure of the water had torn off both com units, leaving them defenseless.

"Of course they heard me. Until you screamed like a banshee." Laura grinned, but her eyes held a tense worry.

"Did not."

"Did."

Jen blinked water out of her eyes. "Then where are they?"

"It's only been ten minutes, tops," Laura made a face. "We did longer sessions in the pool."

"Heated pool," Jen countered. "Freeking cold ocean."

"Pfft," Laura splashed her hand down in the water. "It's a little tepid, sure…"

"Tepid?" Jen snorted, sank, then pushed back up, coughing.

Laura made a face. "Don't worry, Princess, rescue teams will be here any second…" she glanced back up along the edge of the pier high above, "…any second…"

"They'd better," Jen ran a quick calculation of their body weight against the estimated water temperature and came up with a short answer. They didn't have much longer before hypothermia set in.

* * *

"There!" Sanchez leaned across the console and pointed at the water below.

Evan cut their speed and followed the direction of his Captain's gaze. He caught sight of two shapes bobbing along the surges. Two shapes, to women, both alive. He fought off the feelings of relief—the crisis was not over. They still had to get them out of the ocean.

Two jumpers sped by him.

"McAllister, Collins. Sweep the towers bordering the pier for lifesigns," he commanded. "If you find anything, hold and contain. We're going in."

Affirmative replies came back and the two jumpers moved into a covering position above the water.

Sanchez jumped out of the co-pilots seat and moved quickly to the cargo area. He yanked off his boots and socks. Moving to the back he pulled the gate release and dropped the rear hatch.

Evan skimmed across the surface, slowing as he neared the pair of swimmers. Holding position several feet above the rolling surface he spun the jumper around. Glancing back over his shoulder he watched Sanchez take two quick strides off the gate and execute a textbook dive.

After a quick succession of strokes, the Captain hooked his arm around the Doc and pulled her back towards the submerged lip of the tailgate. Laura swam ahead, grabbing onto the grillwork along the edge of the ramp to haul herself out of the water. She turned and helped Jen up out of the water.

Once all three were safely inside the cargo area, Evan triggered the gate control from the front console and guided the jumper up into the air.

"Everyone okay?" he asked from the front of the jumper.

"Yes—" Laura began.

"No," Jen snapped.

Jen's voice sounded too close to Doctor mode. Evan turned, noting the red rivulets of blood mixed water trailing down Laura's forearm.

"It's just a scratch." Laura turned her head towards him, the directness of her gaze breaking through Evan's protective barriers.

"It's not just a scratch," Jen scowled and pulled at the velcro around the iPod. Shattered pieces of the white casing dropped with a clatter to the floor.

Sanchez knelt beside Jen and held out a field dressing.

Furious yet relieved, Evan turned away before he said something he couldn't take back. A dozen whispered curses followed a dozen silent endearments as he piloted the small ship back to the jumper bay. He was going to kick Laura's ass for scaring him like that...right after he reminded her just how much she meant to him.

Concentrating on the team assignments, he received confirmation they'd lost the shooter.

He knew Laura's route, and had made her swear to stick to it today. He'd digest the implications of that later, but for now, he understood that based on their position in the water, and the fact they were both still alive after the fall, they'd been on the catwalk when they'd gone over. The catwalk would only have been visible from the top half of the outer towers on the north east pier.

As they descended through the roof access, he ordered the two jumper teams to return. Whoever it was would be long gone, using the city transporters as his escape route.

There would be no one to chase.

This time.

* * *

Sitting on the side of a gurney, Jen felt a feathery tingle whisper across the base of her neck. She knew without looking who'd just walked into the infirmary, but she turned her head anyway. Ronon strode forward, covering the distance in half the time it would have taken her. He stopped next to the bed, his aura wrapping her in an emotionally charged blanket of testosterone forced calm.

She stilled her kicking feet, letting her bare toes dangle in the air above the cold floor.

He gave her a full head to toe once over, warming her more than the blanket she clutched around her chilled shoulders. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just…wet. Cold."

"You're welcome…" Laura chimed in from her perch on the next bed.

"Oh hush," Marie tisked, finishing the sutures.

John and Evan rounded the corner and joined the small group.

"Sir," Laura nodded, holding her arm out so Marie could wrap a strip of gauze around her bicep.

"Lieutenant. Doc." John said briskly. "Tell me."

While Laura repeated the details of their excursion, Jen's attention drifted to the man standing beside her. It was like sitting next to a winged gargoyle. A sudden image of him towering over the lip of a building made her giggle. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep quiet. Okay. She was definitely losing it.

"…he isn't a pro...," Laura was saying, "…the shots were wild. At that distance, any sniper worth half his ammo would have made the shot clean and easy."

_Clean and easy?_ Jen shivered at the bluntness of the explanation. Beside her, Ronon shifted his weight. She glanced up, losing herself in his dark expression.

"Okay." John ran his hand through his hair then dropped his arm to his side. "Until we get to the bottom of this, you two are not to go anywhere without an armed escort."

Laura's groan was cut off by a sharp glare from both the Colonel and the Major.

"This is not open for discussion, Lieutenant," John said curtly.

While she stared up at Ronon, Jen had half a mind to tell Laura to stuff it. An armed escort sounded like a really, really good idea right about now. She tightened her grip on the blanket and forced her mind to stop it's merry wandering back to the nearly being shot and nearly drowning part. Two things she'd really rather just forget about. Along with the whole week in fact. Yes, forgetting about the entire week seemed like a brilliant idea.

"Doc?" Ronon's low tones snapped her back into the current situation.

"Hmm?" She blinked, then looked around at the others, each of whom was watching her with an air of concern.

Except Laura, who was smirking.

"What," Jen narrowed her gaze and glared across the gap between the beds at Laura.

Laura pursed her lips then shook her head. "I didn't say anything."

John leaned forward. "Ronon's going to take you back to your quarters, Doc. If you need to leave for any reason, I want you to call one of us. No exceptions."

"Of course," Jen agreed, sliding of the bed.

"Nice protest," Laura muttered.

Jen made a face when her bare feet hit the cold floor. "You protest," she shrugged. "I want a hot shower."

"Hmm," Laura brightened. "Good idea!"

"No getting that wet," Jen pointed to the bandage.

Laura looked down at her arm. "I have plastic wrap."

"T-M-I, Spaz." Jen whispered, grinning when Laura wriggled her eyebrows.

Jen walked past the bed, shaking her head at Laura's fading argument as to why she didn't need an armed guard if she herself was armed. As Jen neared the corridor, the thoughts of _why_ they both needed an armed guard translated into her stride. She hesitated to leave the comfort and security of her infirmary, her space, for the unknown hallways.

"Relax, Doc," Ronon leaned down, his tone calm and reassuring. "You're safe."

Jen took a deep breath and forced herself to move. Safe was a state of calm she wasn't sure she was going to feel for a long time coming. But the further she walked alongside her appointed sentry, the more her anxiety seemed to recede until she was left with nothing but a lead-limbed state of exhaustion.

They reached the doors to her quarters and she slid her hand over the access. She stopped under the weight of Ronon's hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," he commanded softly.

He reached past her to trigger the lighting control inside the door of her room. After a quick survey he nodded and stepped aside. Jen stepped into her empty room, eying her bed with longing. Lord but she was tired. And hungry. And cold. And reeked of seawater.

She turned back around, bringing herself face to chest with Ronon. Her lack of footwear made him appear even taller, and she had to tip her head to see his face. "I, um… thanks," she managed. "For walking me back."

His gaze shifted around the room, then returned to hers. After a moment's silence, he nodded, as though coming to some kind of decision. Jen wasn't sure what he'd been considering, but judging from the darkness in his expression, it was important.

"If you need anything, I'll be right outside."

"What?" Jen grabbed for his arm when he took a step back. She didn't realize how cold her hands were until her fingers burned against his forearm. She released him quickly and shook her head. "You're not waiting outside."

"Jennifer, you heard Sheppard."

"No," she shook her head quickly. "I mean…yes, I heard him, but no, you don't have to…to…stand in the hallway. I'm just going to shower and change then maybe go get something to eat. I can call you when I'm done."

"I'll wait." he said firmly, then turned towards the door.

"Ronon," Jen stepped forward.

He stopped beside her closed door and turned back. The expression on his face, in his eyes, told her there'd be no sense arguing.

Even if she wanted to.

Feeling one part embarrassed at the relief she felt knowing he would stay, and one part angry that he'd be stubborn enough to stand outside her door like a…a… well…like some kind of gargoyle, she jabbed her index finger towards a chair in the corner of the room near her desk.

"Sit."

He didn't move.

Jen clamped her cold fingers around his warm hand and tugged him towards the chair. "Sit," she said again, then released his hand. "I won't be long."

She dropped the wet blanket from around her shoulders and gathered her things. With a parting glance at the man still standing next to the chair in the corner, she hurried into the bathroom. She briefly wondered if he'd stay, or if she'd find him outside in the hallway when she was done. She smiled from behind the bathroom door at the soft creaking of the chair.

He might be stubborn, but at the moment he was _her_ stubborn.

She peeled of her wet clothes and stepped into the shower, taking comfort in the knowledge that nothing would be getting past the man in the next room.


	12. Chapter 12

Sitting cross-legged in the bottom of the shower, Laura allowed the heated spray to rinse away the tension and worry.

She was used to reacting first, questioning later. But there was almost always a reason in the end. A battle. A war. A known target.

Not this time.

Somehow she and Jen had become targets for no reason other than a case of bad timing. The entire puzzle was so mixed up, the pieces weren't even from the same picture. It was like trying to play concentration when none of the cards matched. Disappearing containers. Drugs and misdirection. And now someone had tried to shoot them.

Why?

A soft breath of chilled air blew across her back then quickly dissipated as the shower sealed itself once again. Hands slid down her arms with quiet reassurance as Evan lowered himself to the floor of the tub behind her. He maneuvered his legs out and around hers, then wrapped his arms around her upper body, pulling her back against his chest.

Laura closed her eyes against the bouncing spray and relaxed into his embrace.

She was the kind of woman who hated feeling needy, hated feeling weak, and hated knowing she wasn't in control. But something about this man made it all seem so unnecessary. He gave her the power to let it all go and just be herself—her real self. She wasn't sure exactly when this blue eyed flyboy had maneuvered himself in behind all her carefully constructed barriers, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she wouldn't have it any other way.

"You okay?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Hmmm," she nodded. "I am now."

"You want to talk about it?"

She rolled her head side to side. "Not really."

He kissed the side of her neck. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he ordered softly, tightening his arms around her.

"No promises," she snorted. "Although have I said thanks for the rescue?"

"No, no you haven't."

Laura smiled up into the cascading spray. She turned her head and nuzzled the side of his neck. She ran her hands up the tops of his bare legs. "Well then…by all means…let me thank you…properly."

* * *

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Laura blinked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, then shifted her gaze to Evan's reflection. "No, why?"

"You've been combing your hair for about ten minutes now..." Evan prompted, reaching up and lifting the wide-toothed comb from her fingers. "Out with it." He set the comb on the counter then reached up and turned her so she was facing him straight on.

"It's Jen," she admitted.

"She's fine."

"I know. It's just…the energy, you know?"

Evan's brow furrowed. "Energy?"

Laura sighed. "Energy. She practically oozes soothing energy. It's like she has this ability to calm people down just by being in the same room. You stick a security team on her and they'll be spending more time watching her than watching _out_ for her."

"Ahh," Evan nodded in understanding.

"Ahh?" Laura dropped her hands to her hips and glared at him. "Ahh? My best friend is the target of a psycho killer and all you can say is _ahh_?"

"Retract the claws, Red," Evan stepped closer. "The Colonel wouldn't put just anyone on watch duty, and besides, with Ronon in the city, I doubt there'll be a need for the security teams anyway."

"Ronon?" Laura scowled. "He's worse than all of them combined! Mister big bad is just a big mushy pile of goo whenever she's around."

"Big mushy pile of goo…" Evan snorted.

Laura wacked him across the shoulder. "You know what I mean."

Evan laughed and grabbed for her arms, pulling her against him. He hugged her tightly. "I miss you when you're gone, Red."

"Stop changing the subject," she sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm not changing the subject." He kissed the side of her forehead and released her. "Now hurry up. If we get to dinner before everyone leaves you can see for yourself how the pile of goo handles himself."

* * *

Jen didn't miss the change in tone when she entered the mess hall. She figured she'd likely be the topic of a lively conversation, but to see—and hear—it happening made it all the more annoying. Added on top of her tired muscles and overtaxed emotions, she wasn't sure she even wanted to eat, much less try and pretend like nothing was wrong.

She stole a peek at Ronon, but he was watching the room. Pursing her lips she stepped into the line and grabbed a tray. After carefully filling it with a few select choices, she noticed Ronon wasn't getting anything.

"You sick?" she asked.

He glanced down at her. "What? No. Why?"

"You're not eating."

"Not hungry." He shifted his attention back to the room.

"Right," Jen studied him for a moment, understanding washing over her with an embarrassed flush. "Oh for heaven's sake," she muttered, stepping around him to grab a second tray.

"What?"

Jen plopped the empty tray down in front of him. "Eat."

"I said—"

"And_ I_ said…eat." She frowned and pointed to the tray.

"Jennifer, just get your supper."

"I'm not eating unless you do." She threaded her arms across her chest and gave him her best Doctor's Rule stare.

"That's childish."

"Yup." She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

He turned away and continued his narrow-eyed perusal of the mess hall.

"Fine. We'll take turns." She held out her hand, palm up. "Give me the gun and I'll watch the door."

Ronon snorted.

"Problem, Doc?" John asked, stepping up with his heavily laden tray.

"Yeah." Jen turned towards the Colonel. "_Someone_ thinks he can't eat and play bodyguard at the same time."

"Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your tummy?" Fighting a smirk, John glanced over at Ronon.. "Maybe he's not hungry."

"Who's not hungry?" Rodney asked, stepping up to the group.

"Ronon," John answered.

"Really?" Rodney turned towards Ronon. "Are you sick?"

Ronon harrumphed.

Jen frowned at the Colonel's amused expression. "This is not funny."

"Says you," John countered. "I happen to think it's hilarious." At Jen's glare, John's expression softened. He balanced his tray in one hand and picked up Jen's tray. "Come on, Doc. It's hard to be all big, bad and scary when you're eating a jello cup." Jen made a grab for her tray but John held it out of reach. "I promise to make sure little Ronon eats a full meal before he goes to bed."

"But—" she protested.

"No arguments." He carried her tray over to a table near the back of the room.

Jen slid into the seat with a huff. When John sat beside her, she noted he was also carrying his firearm. Realizing she'd just been out played, she grabbed for her fork and stabbed a hunk of pasta. Sandwiched between the two armed alpha-males, she ate in silence until Rodney arrived.

He put his tray on the table and took a seat across from Jen.

"Find those missing cases, yet?" John asked.

Rodney made a face, "Yes because that's all I have to do around here."

"McKay…" John rolled his eyes.

Rodney sighed. "All the medical deliveries, personnel requisitions, and weaponry have been accounted for."

"So what's left?" John asked.

"Tools and samples," Jen answered.

Rodney nodded. "Engineering supplies, equipment, tools, bio containers, etcetera, etcetera." He shifted his chair over to make more room when Teyla arrived with her tray.

"Good evening," the Athosian nodded round the table. "Ronon," she frowned. "You are not eating. Are you not well?"

Jen coughed around a mouthful of pasta and had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Okay, so maybe it was kind of funny.

* * *

_Apparently the redhead was going to be more of a problem than he initially considered. Although in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have assumed she'd be anything less. She'd reacted quickly out there on the pier – not running back towards the stairs like he'd thought she would. No, she'd dumped them both into the ocean – a play he admired. It had been chancy, but had proven to be the smartest option. He'd been unable to see them from his hiding place on the balcony of tower seventy-seven. _

_Setting his dinner tray onto the table, he slid in next to the others. As expected, the gossip flowed freely, and it was all about him. It took a goodly amount of willpower not to preen in the face of such compliments. After all, he'd made it this far and not a one had any clue._

_For such a collection of geniuses, the people here were awfully stupid._

_He let his attention drift across the gathering crowd in the mess hall, noting the whispers and hand-covered conversations when the doctor arrived with her overgrown shadow. _

_He frowned then quickly hid it with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.._

_He'd expected the Doctor to be put under guard after this afternoon's festivities – which was exactly what he'd planned for -- but he hadn't considered her guard might be Ronon Dex. _

_A pair of security teams he could handle. They followed protocol. Followed the same rules. Acted with the same canned reaction every time. It was pathetic, really, how they were so predictable. But Mr. Dex was a loose cannon. His reactions would be impulsive. Volatile. Dangerous._

_He shrugged and returned to his evening meal._

_It was no matter. _

_He wouldn't be watching her all the time. And even if he was, he wouldn't be able to stop anything. Not that he cared either way. No, the ladies little adventure out on the pier had already set the wheels in motion for the grand finale. A finale he'd been carefully planning for last seventy-two hours. A finale that would certainly ensure their silence, and his continued anonymity. _

_He did love a well crafted plan!_

_Noting the arrival of the last of the players, the Major and the Lieutenant, he pushed his chair back and stood. _

_Now that the gang was all here, it was time to get to work._


	13. Chapter 13

Checking her appearance in the mirror one last time, Jen squinted at her reflection, then rolled her eyes. Good lord she was just going to work… Since when did hair placement matter when you were going to spend most of the day in a lab coat staring at flu virus samples?

She stuck her tongue out at her reflection. _Because you-know-who was going to be hanging around, that's why!_ Like her hair style was going to be prominent in his mind over someone trying to kill her.

_Nice set of priorities you've got there, Keller._

With an exasperated sigh she tucked a misbehaving lock behind her ear and walked towards her door. She dropped her hand over the sensor and stepped into the hallway, immediately jerking back two steps at the looming presence outside her door.

"Gah," she hissed, clamping her hand to her chest. "Must you do that?"

"Do what?" Ronon smirked at what was quickly becoming their own personal joke.

"You know one of these days I'm going to get you back," she stepped into the hallway, letting the door of her quarters close behind her.

"I'll look forward to it."

"How long have you been out here?" she asked as they walked towards the transporter.

"Couple of minutes."

"I thought Corporal Cooperman was supposed to be on duty?"

"Relieved him. He was there all night."

"Really?" she blinked, frowning to think that someone had been standing outside her door all night and she hadn't realized it. So much for survival instinct. She snorted. Like she ever had any to begin with. Being here just made it all the more obvious. She barely lived through a weekend camping trip at a full service KOA…why would she think she'd be any more of a survivalist on the other side of the universe?

"Something's funny?"

She shook her head as they stepped into the transporter. "Thinking about camping."

"Camping?" he shook his head, obviously not following her train of thought.

Jen wrinkled her nose. "It's a long story...but one I'm sure you'd find highly amusing."

"You'll tell me sometime?"

Jen flushed, then smiled to think of how much of a kick he'd get out of the story. He already thought Earth customs were weird, explaining Smores might just push him right over the top. Thinking of Ronon trying to toast marshmallows put a mental picture in her head that she couldn't shake.

"What?" The corner of his mouth quirked when she started to laugh.

"Nothing," she giggled. "It's just…you'll laugh."

"And that's bad?"

"No," she shook her head. "Not bad. Just…typically me."

"Typically you?" he grinned. "You mean something Zelenka would put money on?"

"Oh yeah," she laughed. "And double it down, too."

"This I have to hear."

"Why? So you can get the inside scoop for the next off world mission?"

"That too," he nodded.

"You're incorrigible."

"So they tell me."

She leaned past him and poked the infirmary level location on the map. "Remind sometime…right now I have to get to work before Marie sends out a search party."

The doors opened and they stepped into the corridor. Ronon straightened and Jen tensed in automatic reaction.

"What?" she peered up at him.

"Nothing," he shook his head and stepped out of the transporter.

It took Jen a moment to realize he'd shifted back into combat mode, all traces of amusement wiped from his expression. Goodness but he was certainly taking all this seriously. Although considering the events of the past week, maybe she should be taking it seriously too? Or…more seriously than she was? She was taking it seriously, wasn't she? Someone was trying to kill her and she was joking around about camping? What did that say about her? What kind of person faced death threats then laughed about Smores? Good lord she'd lost her mind.

"Doc?"

Ronon's shape shadowed her and she looked up. Realizing she'd stopped in the middle of the hallway sent a burning flush to her cheeks. "Sorry," she mumbled, sidestepping an oncoming pair of botanists.

"You okay?" he asked, moving with her to the side of the corridor.

"Yes, yes. I just…I…" _am a complete bonehead but what's new?_

He dropped his shoulders, bringing his face closer to hers. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You know that, right?"

She nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I just…got a little distracted. Sorry." Her hand reached for his upper arm out of instinct and she squeezed lightly, seeking to steal some of his confidence. "I'm good." She tried for a smile but failed so she gave up. She dropped her hand away, breaking contact.

"Come on," he angled his head. "Let's get you to work before Sheppard sends out the Marines."

She laughed, but it sounded hollow even to her ears.

* * *

It was close to midnight when John pushed his chair back and stood to work the stiffness out of his shoulders. Checking his watch, he noted it was almost time for shift change. He left his office and headed for the main corridor.

This had not been an easy week.

Not that any week in Pegasus was easy.

But dealing with a possible traitor went way beyond normal point-and-shoot scenarios. Anger twisted through his gut to think of two of his people being targets in their own home. Not once, but twice. And with no trace of who, what or why.

Their best lead, the transport cases, was proving to be an elusive mistress. He'd assigned all available personnel to cataloguing weapons and weaponry tech. He wasn't sure if he would rather find something missing, and know what they were after, or find nothing missing, and be happy no Ancient weaponry was potentially lose on Earth. Definitely a Catch-22.

The next step was to go through all the engineering supplies and all samples collected and catalogued. Thankfully most of the samples were restricted access, which would make cross referencing easier. The engineers kept meticulous paperwork, so that should flow smoothly. The problem was the sheer volume of containers assigned to these two groups.

It had been almost a week between attacks, and they'd grown lax in their protection of the two women. He knew this and fully admitted it. He should have had them under lock and key, not let them gallivant around the pier like a couple of live targets waiting to be picked off.

He wasn't about to make the same mistake again.

He stopped inside the infirmary, nodding when Sergeant Porter saluted smartly. He figured the kid would learn to relax on the protocol eventually. "Sergeant," he acknowledged. "Doc still inside?"

"Sir," Jimmy nodded. "In her office. She's just finishing up, Sir."

John nodded. "I'll take it from here, Sergeant. Why don't you get some dinner before the mess closes for the night?"

"Thank you, Sir." Jimmy smiled and stepped away from his post.

John stepped forward and leaned against the door frame of Jennifer's office. He wasn't really surprised Jennifer hadn't looked up at the exchange. It was a well known fact she lost herself in her work, to the point of being too much of a target for practical jokers. Although he supposed if she wasn't so easily startled, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to try.

He cleared his throat and stepped into the room.

When she looked up and smiled, he was once again taken back by just how young she really was. Genius, yes. Years ahead of her peers, yes. The person you wanted at your side if you were ever injured? Hell yes. But young. He masked his anger at her current situation and stepped into the room.

"You ready to call it a night, yet?"

"Oh hell yes," she laughed. "I just need to sign…" she looked down at the chart she was holding, "one…more…" she scrawled her signature across the bottom of the page, "report. There. Done." She dropped the pen and closed the folder. "And are you my escort this evening, Colonel?"

He nodded. "I am."

"Well," tucking the folder under her arm she stood up with a flourish and walked around the side of her desk. "I guess I probably shouldn't keep the base Military Commander waiting…"

John crooked out his elbow, grinning when Jen slid her arm around his. "No, you probably shouldn't. Lord knows I'm horribly busy."

"Making Evan do your paperwork again, huh." She swiped her hand over the lighting control, dropping her office into darkness.

John guided her into the main room. "Who me?" he feigned disappointment. "I'll have you know I read and sign every mission report."

"Uh huh," she pursed her lips. "You're just lucky Mr. Woolsey hasn't learned to tell Evan's version of your signature apart from the real thing. I'd hate to think that's why you appointed him your second in command."

"Excellent forgery skills are a very important thing to look for on a resume."

Jen laughed as they stepped into the main corridor. "I'll be sure to tell him that next time I see him."

As they walked towards the transporter, John ignored the curious looks they were getting as they passed several clusters of people.

"I do believe the rumor mill is about to get a jump start," Jen looked down to where their arms were still entwined.

"It's about time they had someone to talk about besides you and Ronon," John hinted, grinning to see her cheeks flushing.

"What?" she squeaked. "People are talking about me and Ronon? Why? What? What are they saying?"

He patted her hand, refusing to release her arm when she tried to pull away. "Relax, Doc. I'm just teasing," he lied, taking pity and not wanting to embarrass her any further. "Now if we really wanted to get a story going," he grinned and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against his side, "this would be more my style."

She laughed, and relaxed against him. "You, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, are a dangerous man." She hooked her free arm around his waist and let him propel her towards the transporter.

Winking at a pair of scientists who were exiting through the opening doors, John spun Jen around to face him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. The doors swished shut behind them and he grinned. "There, that should keep them busy for the next couple of hours. By breakfast we'll have been caught half-naked."

"John!" she stepped back and wacked him across the chest, laughing when he pretended to pout.

"You mean the honeymoon's over already?"

She harrumphed and walked ahead of him down the corridor.

"But we were so good together!" he called out, taking a quick jog to catch up to her.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're as bad as the new recruits."

"Ouch," he tapped his fist against his chest. "You wound me."

"Yeah, yeah," she grinned, turning towards him as they rounded a corner. "Guess it's a good thing you're dating a doctor, what with all those wounds and all…"

A flash of white caught his eye and John grabbed for her a fraction of a second too late to prevent her from colliding with Dr. Bryant. The two doctor's went down in a rather comical tumble of arms and legs. Eight by ten sheets of copy paper rained around them like giant snowflakes.

Jen scrambled across the corridor on her hands and knees, hurrying to collect the pages, blustering apologetically.

John tried to hide his grin as he stooped to gather pages scattered across the floor beside him.

"Dr. Keller," Dr. Bryant sputtered. "I am so sorry," He shoved his glasses back up his nose. "I did not see you."

"No, no, no…" Jen handed him a collection of papers. "It's my fault, Aaron. Colonel Sheppard was distracting me. I should have been paying attention to where I was going."

"Distracting…" Dr. Bryant raised his eyebrows and glanced up at John.

John tried not to laugh at the conclusion the scientist was quickly coming to. He'd likely also heard Jen's comment about dating a doctor. Biting back a retort, he helped the man to his feet.

Jen stood and handed over another stack of papers. "I'm sorry, hopefully we didn't mess these up too badly."

Dr. Bryant frowned at the mussed collection of papers. He pulled several sheets out and handed them back to Jen. "These are not mine."

Jen accepted and put them back in the folder she'd been carrying. "I am so sorry," she apologized again.

"It is fine," Dr. Bryant backed away, bobbling his head between John and Jen. "I did not mean to interrupt your… your… walk. Have a good day…night…um…good bye…" he nodded quickly and turned back the way he came. Then he stopped, turned around and pointed to the transporter. "That way. I was going that way." He rushed past them.

Jen turned and stepped around the corner, heading down the final stretch towards her quarters. "Well that was embarrassing," she mumbled, glancing down at the mess of pages sticking out of her file folder.

She stopped in front of her door and turned towards John. "Is it always this eventful when you walk a girl home, Colonel?"

John winked. "Depends on the girl."

Jen laughed and swiped her hand across the door control outside her room.

"Dr. Keller?" A voice called from up the corridor.

John and Jen stepped to the side, turning towards a hurrying Dr. Bryant.

Aaron held up a sheet of paper, flapping it above his head. "I believe this belongs to you."

Taking a step forward, Jen opened her mouth to apologize, but her words were cut off by a deafening roar. For a brief moment she registered a look of shock on Dr. Bryant's face right before her feet left the ground. Shoved by an unseen force, her stomach rolled with the nauseating sense of flying.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

.

_**A/N sorry for the cliffy (well, okay, not really) but GLENN (the evil plot bunnies - known as the Giant Lop Ears of North Nagook) really wanted this chapter to play out with John accompanying Jen. They made me write it just as it was! :) So blame the bunnies! I wrote it quickly, so any typos are due to lack of proper beta reading! **_


	14. Chapter 14

Jennifer's first thought was that she couldn't hear.

Hands pressed against her cheeks. A face blurred above her. John. John's face. He had a smudge of dirt down the right side of his cheek. Odd. She didn't remember seeing it before. His mouth moved. Words spoken… no… shouted. He was yelling. She was pretty sure of that because of the expression on his face. He looked upset. Worried.

Why was he moving in slow motion?

She was sitting against the wall in the corridor with John kneeling on the floor in front of her. He cupped her face, forcing her to keep her head facing his. Someone stepped into view and John waved them off. Her gaze shifted, catching sight of two Marines running past them down the hallway.

Things were awfully tilty.

And why was it so quiet? All she could hear was a sharp ringing.

John's outstretched hand pointed and she turned, catching sight of Sergeant Bolisky… Bulisky… Balisky? She could never remember the proper pronunciation. Why was Dr. Bryant sitting on the floor? Oh good, the Sergeant was helping him up. There were papers scattered all over. He must have dropped his file again.

John's face hovered closer. There he goes, holding her head again. And why on earth was he yelling? She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but she still couldn't make out the words. It looked like he was asking her if she was hurt. She shook her head. No…not hurt…just deaf apparently.

With a roar that left her head feeling like she'd been sitting next to a thousand vacuum cleaners, sound smashed into her skull. The influx of John's voice physically hurt. She winced. Pain shot across her forehead, pounding it's escape route across the back of her eyes. Everything sped up, bringing life back up to its normal speed.

"God!" she cursed, trying to lift her hands. Her limbs were leaden, sluggish. She managed to get her palms over her ears but it only made the ringing worse.

"Jennifer! Can you hear me?!" John was yelling, amidst commands to keep all personnel away from the end of the corridor.

"Yes," she hissed. "Don't shout so loud!"

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?"

"Isn't that my line?" she frowned, wincing at a newfound stiffness in her back and shoulders. She looked down at herself but other than a few smudges of dirt, she didn't see anything wrong. "No… nothing…. Why? What happened? What's going on?"

"Are you sure?" he demanded. "Nothing broken?" His hands travelled quickly down across her neck and shoulders, each arm, each leg.

She wriggled when his fingers brushed the sensitive spot behind her knees. He froze and glanced up, worry evident in his eyes.

"That tickles," she scowled, slapping his hand away. "I'm fine. Now stop it."

He smiled, then. The cocky grin replacing the worried frown. But his eyes weren't laughing, so she knew the smile was for show. She'd learned that about him over the years. To watch his eyes. The doorway of the soul, and all that.

Goodness but she had one hell of a headache now.

"John, what's going on?" She peered past him, catching sight of the flurry of activity taking place down the end of the hallway. She'd been going to her room. So why was she still in the hallway?

"Nothing for you to worry about right now, Doc…" John shifted his weight, moving into a crouched position. "We need to get you checked out."

"Checked out? But I'm fine…" she protested and tried to stand up. A firm hand on her shoulder held her in position. Darkness descended, momentarily blocking the light before she recognized Ronon's shadow. He slid to a stop beside her, dropping to one knee.

"Get her to the infirmary," John ordered. "And don't let her out of your sight."

Ronon didn't hesitate. In an instant Jen felt herself being lifted. She let out a squeak and grabbed on, wrapping her arms around Ronon's neck. "Ronon! Put me down."

"No." He turned and shoved his way through a pair of fast moving Marines.

The blurring motion made her head swirl and she closed her eyes.

"Doc?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Fine…" she mumbled. "I'm fine."

When he stopped moving she opened her eyes, and looked up into the underside of his jaw. Past his head and shoulders she recognized the closed confines of the transporter. The transporter she'd just been in with John. Then her room. They'd been walking her back to her room. Dr. Bryant was there… then he wasn't… then he'd come back. She'd opened her door… and someone… no something had shoved her. A force. An explosion? There'd been an explosion? But there was nothing down there except…except…

Except for her quarters.

"Oh god," she exhaled and snapped her head up.

Ronon glanced down, concern shifting his eyes into a light hazel.

"Someone tried to blow me up," she whispered.

His silence was all the confirmation she needed. She felt his arms tighten as he carried her into the infirmary. Marie hurried forward, obviously waiting for their arrival.

Ronon set her onto a gurney.

She scrambled to sit up, pushing Marie's hands away. Someone had tried to blow her up?! The same someone who'd attacked her, shot at her, had now tried to blow her up? This was not happening!

"No, stop, wait!" she commanded, shoving at Marie. Ronon grabbed for her hands, locking them tightly between his. "Is anyone hurt?" she cursed, wriggling to pull herself free of his grip. It was futile. He wasn't letting go. "Colonel Sheppard. He was there, too! He should be down—"

"No one's hurt," Marie interrupted, pulling Jen's hair aside to check the back of her neck.

"Marie, stop. I'm fine." Jen shied away from Marie's probing fingers. "What about Dr. Bryant? Where is he?"

"He's being looked after," Marie assured her, angling her chin towards the back of the infirmary. Jen turned her head, catching sight of Dr. Bryant being seen to by two of her staff members.

She turned back, wrestling to remove her hands from Ronon's tight grasp, while shrinking away from Marie's assessment. Anger bubbled, overriding the fear and horror she should have been feeling. She let it free. This was her home. Her domain. No one had that kind of power.

Since Ronon wasn't letting go, she used his grip to propel herself off the gurney and onto the floor. She straightened and glared at Marie, who dropped her hands with an exasperated sigh.

"If you don't let me check you out I swear I'm going to sedate you."

"I'd like to see you try it," Jen countered.

"Doc," Ronon warned.

"Stuff it," she snapped.

He blinked in surprise.

She yanked at her fingers, and this time he released her. A commotion broke out in the entryway of the infirmary and all three turned as Laura shoved her way past the pair of security guards outside the doors.

"Are you okay?" Laura exhaled, slightly winded. "What the hell happened? I heard they were bringing you in to the infirmary!" She grabbed for Jen and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Someone tried to blow me up!" Jen exclaimed.

Laura jerked back. "What!" she shouted. "Who? Why that rat bastard! I'm going to fuckin' kill him!" she stomped her foot, and spun towards to Ronon. "Where the hell were you? I thought you were supposed to be watching her?!"

"Colonel Sheppard was _watching_ me," Jen scowled, pushing past Laura, bumping her away from Ronon.

Laura grabbed her arm and spun her back around. "Whoa, whoa! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To my room," Jen yanked her arm free. "I want to see—"

"No!" Ronon stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"You're not going anywhere!" Laura joined Ronon's wall with Marie on her other side.

With a hiss of exasperation Jen spun on her heel and stomped off towards the back of the infirmary. Not expecting her change of direction, it took the others a few seconds to realize she wasn't heading towards Dr. Bryant, she was heading for the exit.

* * *

Recognizing her escape plan, Ronon swore and jumped after her. _Crazy fool woman!_ He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the floor. Ignoring her squirming and cursing, he stepped across the hallway and deposited her onto her feet inside an empty storage room. Slapping his hand across the access panel, he locked the door, closing them both inside.

She spun to face him, her fists clenched, her face flushed with fury. She looked like she was about to take a swing at him. At this moment, he wouldn't put it past her. He might have laughed if not for the harsh reality of the situation.

He'd just finished a weapons session with the latest recruits when Sheppard's panicked call had come over the com. Thoughts of Carson's death… the explosion that had taken his friend's life… had merged with images of Jennifer. With every ounce of willpower fueling his limbs, he ran. By the Ancients he hadn't felt that level of fear in a very long time.

He'd seen her shape, sitting on the floor between Sheppard's legs, the Colonel's voice commanding her to listen. Her eyes had been so vacant, confused. Around her remnants of the twisted metal that had been her door lay scattered across the corridor. There was no blood, no injury, but that didn't stop the guilt from tearing through him.

Laura was right.

He was supposed to be watching out for her.

But damn it, Sheppard was right there! He trusted the man with his own life, could he not trust him to protect Jennifer as well?

"Let…me…out!" Jennifer hissed.

He took a deep breath, and shook his head slowly. "Not going to happen."

"Ronon…" she warned, the edge of her jaw clenched so tightly he could see a tiny bulge along the corner of her jaw.

"Jennifer," he countered. Shit, she was angry! She was practically trembling from it. But her expression held too many emotions to be fueled by just one. He had a feeling this was about to get really bad, really fast. He took a deep breath. "You need to calm down."

"What?!" she drew the word out, long and slow.

_Apparently the wrong thing to say. _"Look," he tried again, praying for strength to be the calm one, when all he wanted to do was get the hell out of here and find the bastard who'd done this. "There's nothing you can do. Let Sheppard's men—"

"No!" she snapped. "I'm tired of letting _Sheppard's men_ figure things out! It's my room, my…life, my…existence this jackass is messing with! Why do I have to hide while he gets to…to…roam around like some kind of cocky bastard?"

Her shoulders hunched, curling up towards her ears. He reached for her but she shied away.

"It's not fair," she continued. "I shouldn't have to put up with this. I'm the CMO, damn it, and I shouldn't have to put up with this! I haven't done anything wrong!"

Ronon watched the anger slide slowly away from her eyes, exposing the frustration and fear which was the true fuel for her reaction.

"I haven't done anything wrong…" her voice dropped, turning her statement into a dying warble.

His heart broke at the shine in her eyes. The sadness. The helplessness. The fear.

"I haven't…" she whispered.

This time when he reached out she came to him, plastering herself against his front, her small hands knotting in the material against his lower back. All sense that he needed to be out there—not here—washed away with the feel of her tears soaking through the front of his shirt. Her knees buckled. Ronon lowered himself with her, taking her into his arms as he propped himself against the wall beside the door. She curled in on herself, tightening into a ball, hiding her face, but not letting go.

He heard Sheppard's voice in his ear, concern evident in the request to make sure she was safe.

Laura's answer saved Ronon from having to break into the silence. Yes she was safe. Yes she was with Ronon.

_And yes,_ Ronon added silently, _that's exactly where she is going to stay. Safe, and with me._

* * *

"Grenade," Laura glanced at the cable hanging off the edge of the door. A cold ball of anger hardened itself inside her abdomen. She fingered the thin wire, letting the familiar metal pin swirl in the air. "Standard issue. Open the door and the cable pops the pin." She dropped the wire and stood, turning to face the destruction of Jen's quarters. "Three seconds and boom. If Doctor Bryant hadn't called her back the two of you would be in pieces right now."

She turned back towards Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne. Separate, the two men were quite formidable. Together—both looking like they'd have no problem ripping the perpetrator apart with their bare hands—they were damn dangerous. Laura almost smiled. Almost. Because when they caught up to the man who'd done this…the two of them would have to get in line.

* * *

_He fought the desire to tap his fingers together like a Bond villain. It gave him such pleasure to see the result of a hard though plan. All the elements were coming together so perfectly, one would think he'd planned it that way._

_And what do you know? He __had__ planned it that way._

_Perfect._

_Absolutely perfect._

_One final gift for the Lieutenant, and they'd be well on their way to the grand finale. Ah but not yet. No… he'd wait. He had forty-eight hours. Let them calm down. Let them bumble around in frustration trying to find him. Then he'd spring his final surprise._

_Spring._

_How very clever! There were days when he really did make himself laugh._

_Masking his face into the properly sober emotion, he nodded briskly at the security guards stationed in the corridor._

_These military men were all so predictable. _

_And a good thing, too._

_After all, what good was a plan if no one played by the rules?_


	15. Chapter 15

Laura snapped to attention, chopping at the ghosts fighting through her subconscious. Aggravated by the darkness and spurned by the unfamiliar surroundings, it took her a moment to realize the ghost she wrestled with was Evan, and the location was his quarters, not hers.

"Easy, easy…" Evan grappled with her, locking his arms around her and pinning her against him.

Laura let the air out of her lungs, and collapsed against him.

"All good?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, not quite ready to put her emotions into words. She rolled onto her side and flopped across him, with her head resting on his chest. She let the steady beat of his heart coax her own into a more sedated rhythm.

After a few moments she'd successfully sorted the sleepy thoughts from reality. "You just coming in?"

"Yeah. The Colonel wanted to go over the duty roster. Reorganizing." Evan yawned. "Restricted gate access to any teams who weren't off wor—"

"—they aren't military," she interrupted, balancing her chin on the back of her hand.

"What?" He lifted his head slightly, his expression lost in the dark shadows of the room. "Who?"

"_Him_," she scowled. "He's not military. Military trained, but not military."

"How do you figure?"

Evan's tone told Laura he'd pretty much come to the same conclusion but was interested in her evaluation. It was one of the things she loved most about him. He never blocked her out.

"You know my route," she prompted. "Where would you set up?"

He lowered his head back to the pillow. "Any of the tip towers. Seventy seven most likely. Top corner close to the transporter."

"Target area?" She closed her eyes and rested her cheek to his chest.

He didn't immediately answer. She knew he was considering the best location for a clean shot based on the layout of the city. While he contemplated what his move would have been, he pulled the blankets higher, tucking them down around her side, sealing her against him.

"Open end of the pier," he finally answered. "Before you hit the staircase, and after you cross away from the last column."

"Exactly. The spot he picked would have taken a good shot, but anyone with enough training knows the wind would have made accuracy nearly impossible in that location without high-end equipment. It was a dumb move…"

"Or a rookie mistake," he countered.

Laura nodded. She'd thought of that herself; the evil doer being a new recruit. Some training but no battlefield experience. But that didn't make sense either. Not when you considered the use of the grenade.

She shivered at the thought of what had almost happened tonight, then tried to hide it by shifting her arms.

"She's fine."

"Yeah," Laura made a face at the darkness. Sure she was.

"Promise."

"Where's she staying?"

"Don't know."

"Huh?"

She felt his laughter vibrating through his chest. He twisted his fingers through her hair distractedly. "Ronon wouldn't say."

Laura snapped her head up. "Really?"

"Really. Said it would be safer that way." He fought a yawn and failed. "I think I agree."

"Huh," Laura pursed her lips, then snuggled in beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her thoughts immediately shifted to her best friend, and the situation. A niggling doubt skirted through to the forefront, and she mulled it around, looking for answers and finding none. If the shooter wasn't military, then why the sniper effect? Why the grenade? The drug and the head-bashing didn't fit if you though military, either. It was too messy. And the grenade. That was just... too messy…

"What's too messy?" Evan slipped his hand over hers, stilling the hypnotizing spin of her fingers across his bare shoulder.

Laura made a face. "I said that out loud? Sheesh. I've been hanging out with Keller too long."

"What's too messy?" Evan repeated, threading his fingers through hers.

"The grenade. It's too… personal. It's not just messy… It's pain, Ev. It's pain." She dropped her voice to a quiet whisper. Tension twisted up her spine. "Who'd want to hurt a person like that? Who'd want to hurt _her_ like that?"

"No one who wants to stay alive."

"Why not me?"

"What?"

"Why not me?" she repeated. "The ambush was both. The shooting—both. But the grenade was directed at Jen . Why not me?"

He tensed and pulled her more firmly against his side. "What are you thinking?"

"He knows her. Knows her well enough to know how she thinks. We know he's not military or he'd obviously be looking to take me out of the picture first. So he has to be other. He went after Jen first. Why? It makes no sense. A smart man would take out the military option first, not the civilian. And that has me worried. She's not safe, Ev."

"She's safe with Ronon."

She rocked her head. "Ronon can't protect her from herself."

"Herself?"

Laura struggled to find the words to explain.

"I'm used to people trying to kill me."

Evan snorted.

Laura wacked his arm. "Be serious."

He turned his head and kissed her temple. "Sorry. Go on."

"I'm used to people trying to kill me. Jen isn't. Not here. Not like this. I know her, Ev. And I know what's coming. And _that's_ what I'm worried about. Jen doesn't process things like we do. She doesn't do search and destroy. She does fact and figures. Last week she was in denial. And I guarantee you that right now, tonight, she's feeling scared and lost. But tomorrow… tomorrow she's going to wake up one seriously pissed off CMO. And we both know what that means."

"Aww hell," Evan sighed. "I'm going to need to double the watch, aren't I?"

"Oh yeah. Whoever this guy is, he must know that our little miss genius isn't going to come up swinging, she's going to come up thinking. Something we saw or heard must be some thing she'd be able to pinpoint. It's the only option that makes sense."

"But neither of you remember anything."

"He doesn't know that."

"We'll talk to the Colonel first thing. See if we can tag-team the Doc into a full schedule change. If he's making plans based on routine, he'll be forced to rethink, or—"

"—or up his time table."

"Which is exactly why you are also changing your schedule."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious, Laura. Just because this attack was directed at Jen doesn't mean you're off the hit list. You're going to be making a few lifestyle changes of your own until we catch him."

"Why do I have a feeling there's more to that statement than you're letting on?"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Laura narrowed her eyes, squinting up at him through the darkness. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

She scowled. "You searched my room again for booby-traps again, didn't you."

"No."

"Evan!"

"Okay yes I did. And I also packed you several changes of clothes."

"I am _so _not going into hiding. You try to pull that card and I'll—"

"Relax, Red. I'm not hiding you anywhere you haven't already been."

Realization washed over Laura and she elbowed him in the side. "You idiot! What makes you think I won't be a target in _here_ either? And why," she wacked him across the shoulder, "would you think I'd want to include _you_ in the target practice? What if he comes after me next? What if you walked into an ambush?! Of all the dumb ass, stupid, idiotic—"

"Hey!" he grabbed for her and hugged her tightly. "I am _not_ going to let anyone be used for target practice. Me…you…" he kissed her, momentarily cutting off her argument as well as her oxygen, "or Jennifer."

Laura took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I swear, Ev…if he hurts her…"

"Oh yeah," he agreed with her unspoken promise, his voice carrying the angry bite of the warrior she knew lived beneath the sexy warm exterior she was currently plastered up against. "But I'm afraid you're going to have to stand in line."

"Oh you can try," she gave him a shove, letting her hands linger a little longer than necessary across his chest. Damn but she wanted him right now. Needed him. Needed to feel an emotion other than anger or worry.

In a blink he'd hooked his leg over hers and rolled her beneath him. "You were saying?"

"No fair." She slid her hands up his bare back and gripped his shoulders. "You know I can never argue with you when you're all hard and naked."

"But I like it when you argue with me." He nuzzled the side of her neck, pressing his weight more firmly down across her body.

"Hmm," she whispered, kissing the underside of his chin. "You're such a bad boy."

"And you hate it."

"Yup."

"Liar."

"Yup."

* * *

Ronon stood at the window, his thoughts split between the sleeping city sprawled out below, and the sleeping woman to his side. Her breathing was rough and staggered, the world of dreams taking her down a dark path. He took a deep breath, exhaling the anger and intent boiling tightly beneath his rib cage.

"Ronon?"

Her hoarse call startled him. He turned, and in two strides was at her side.

"Right here." He squatted next to the bed and reached for her hands to stop her from strangling the blankets in her lap.

"I…sorry…I thought maybe you'd left," she whispered.

"No." He cursed under his breath at the icy temperature of her skin. He quickly slid his hands across her wrists then back down towards her fingers. "You're freezing. I'm sorry. I should have brought more blankets."

"I'm not cold," she said softly. Her sleep mussed hair danced across her shoulders as she moved her head. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice betraying a mix of awe and worry.

Ronon followed the angle of her gaze to the clearly visible of starry sky above their heads. "Safe," he squeezed her hands lightly, offering reassurance. It was no wonder she didn't remember coming in to the room. She had been so out of it when he'd brought her here, she'd barely looked up from her toes. She'd needed no prompting upon seeing the single bed, and had simply kicked off her shoes and curled into a ball on top of the blankets. "We're at the high point of the building cluster at the tip of the south pier."

He pointed over her shoulder to the main tower clearly visible behind them.

She turned her head to follow his pointed prompt. "There's no walls?"

"Clear glass. Figure it must have been some kind of observatory."

Clearly distracted by her surroundings, Jennifer pulled her hands free and pushed the blankets away. Ronon helped her to her feet. She moved towards the edge of the circular room and it's see through dome. Stopping before the barrier, she reached out to touch the glass, her fingers trembling but not completing the contact. He pressed his hand to the glass. "Just windows."

"All of it?" she asked, touching the clear wall. She tipped her head back and looked up.

"All of it."

"It's spectacular," she whispered. She slowly lowered her gaze the glanced sideways at him. "Let me guess," she half smiled. "No one else knows about this place."

"Only Sheppard."

"Yeah," she nodded, turning back to the view of the sleeping city. "I'd keep it a secret, too."

After a moment she turned back towards the center of the room and its only piece of furniture—the cot. "How'd you guys get that bed up here without anyone seeing?"

"It's been here for a while."

She turned towards him with a questioning look.

He shrugged. "I slept outside for seven years," he tried, not really sure how to explain the claustrophobic crush of the walls he felt some nights.

"And your quarters have no windows." She nodded, flashed a smile, then let it fade. "I think its definitely you. No need to decorate. Although…" she turned slowly in a circle then stopped facing him. "Where's the bathroom?"

Ronon almost laughed. He'd fully expected her to ask where the door was. Leave it to Jennifer to skip past the expected.

"Here," he reached for her hand. Guiding her towards the middle of the room he pointed to a large, gold symbol on the floor. He stepped forward, pulling them both onto the center of the shape and turned to face the control tower in the distance. With a muted beep a section of the floor in front of them slid back to reveal a wide, circular staircase that dropped down beneath the floor.

"Bathrooms are one level down."

"Cool," she whispered, nodding.

He looked at her expectantly when she didn't move away from his side. "Did you need to… go?"

"No," she bobbed her head. "I was just…curious."

Ronon pulled her back off the etched markings on the floor and the stairwell sealed itself once again.

She stifled a large yawn, fighting to contain it behind her hand. Then she threaded her arms across her torso, hugging herself tightly. She shivered, then yawned again.

"You should go back to sleep," he urged her back towards the bed.

"What about you?" She stopped beside the mattress and turned.

He blinked in surprise. She truly thought he'd be sleeping? "I'll be fine." He pushed gently down on her shoulder.

She lowered herself to the edge of the cot, sitting stiffly in silence. "Ronon, I…"

He waited, but she didn't continue.

She dropped her chin to her chest. After a few moments she took a deep breath. "I'm scared."

Her softly worded admission formed a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach. Crouching before her, he reached for her hands, cursing the tiny tremble as he willed his warmth into her cold skin.

She tipped her head up, her gaze locking on his. Even in the darkness he could read the fear in her eyes. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she whispered.

"You're supposed to sleep," he released her and reached for the blankets, "and let me worry about the rest."

Jennifer blinked, then nodded. In silence she turned away and curled onto her side, shrinking herself into a tight ball. Ronon covered her, tucking the edges of the blanket in around her. He straightened, unable to tear his attention off the small lump shuddering beneath the covers.

She barely took up half the bed… and it was only a single.

She shivered again.

Ronon hesitated only a moment longer before lowering himself to the bed beside her. He lay on his side, scarcely vertical before she'd turned to burrow into him. A small, trembling lump, barely visible save for the twisted tangle of blond hair tickling his chin. After a few moments she stilled, the shaking subsiding as she slipped into sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N : I'm so sorry for the delay in posting, dear readers! ^_^ Life has been insane and it's taken me 2 weeks to get this far! When last we left, someone tried to blow up Jen, and our ladies were quickly hidden away by the menfolk for a night's rest! Laura and Evan had some snuggle time, and Ronon carried Jen off to his tower! Alas, if only that were all it took to keep them safe. :) Now on with the story! - Nika**

* * *

Alone on the balcony, John squinted as the early morning sun finally crested the edge of the world. Light reflected off the shining surfaces of the nearby towers, sparkling the city like orange crystal. Normally he'd be impressed with the sheer magnitude of what it represented—as he always did—knowing it wasn't just any old city that sprawled so majestically out in front of him. But not today.

Somewhere out there...someone was laughing at him. At them. And that thought painted a darkness over the beautiful sunrise.

"Have you been out here all night?" Teyla appeared at his shoulder. She leaned against the railing.

"Close enough," he replied, unthreading his arms.

"And have you had any…inspiration?"

"No. And it's damn frustrating." He ran his hand through his hair then dropped his palms to the cool metal railing. His brain was pretty much melted at this point. He had nothing left to reason that he hadn't already considered seven times to Sunday. Giving up with a quick shake of his head and changed the subject. "You're up early…"

Teyla made a face. "Toren is teething. I believe sleep has become a luxury I will not have the pleasure of knowing for some time now."

John snorted. "Teething…walking…talking…then it's all girls, rock and roll, and Mom can I borrow the puddle jumper. Face it, you're doomed."

She tried to look stern but failed. Then she rolled her eyes and laughed. "I fear you are right."

After a few moments of silence, Teyla turned towards him. "Rodney and I have completed our inspection of all the containers assigned to the labs. Everything is accounted for."

"That must have taken a while."

"Rodney works surprisingly quickly under pressure," she admitted with a half smile. "How did you do?"

"Confirmed no missing ordinance."

"That's good."

"Not necessarily. Just because he's not using ours, doesn't mean he's not using."

"He brought his own?"

"Those storage cases can hold a hell of a lot."

"Are these things not…inspected…before they're loaded onto the Daedalus?"

John scowled. He'd spent a better part of the night contemplating the exact same question. Containers were inspected, sealed and tagged before being stored in a locked and guarded facility to await transport to the Daedalus. After analyzing the system front to back, John had come up with only one way to make a switch. Thanks to the IOA and it's insistence in doing things in triplicate instead of trusting its people, there was a hole. Hell, where the IOA was concerned, there was always a hole. Leave it to a bunch of bureaucrats to screw up a perfectly secure Military routine with civilian regulations.

Switching out a container was stupid, tricky, and one hundred percent deadly if you failed, but doable with carefully planning and the right contacts. He had no doubt Caldwell would close the hole swiftly, given the current circumstances. But fixing something down the road wasn't going to help them now.

He turned towards Teyla. "My guess? Whatever's going on has been going on for quite some time. He's overconfident. He made a mistake and now he's scrambling to clean up his mess."

"With gate access restricted, is not his only escape route to use the Daedalus?"

"If he's looking to leave," John admitted.

"You don't believe he is?"

"At this point I don't know what to believe. He's either incredibly smart, or incredibly lucky. Assaulting them was one thing…the shooting…the grenade that's something else. He's stepping up his game while we're playing wack-a-mole with supply cases."

"Well maybe…" Teyla placed her hand on his forearm, "you should sleep on it. Ronon and the Major have things under control for the time being. A few hours of…down time…can only help."

"I'm not the only one who was up all night," he dropped his chin and eyed her suspiciously.

Teyla smiled. "I am planning on trying to get some sleep myself."

"Is that an invitation?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Teyla wacked him across the upper arm. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," she chastised, her smile spreading slowly. "You had better not let Jennifer hear you speaking like that."

"Jennifer?"

Teyla nodded. "I have heard it from _many_ sources that you two have…hooked up? And rather intimately, I might add."

John grinned, walking with her towards the balcony doors. "Well that didn't take long."

"No," she smiled slyly. "It didn't. Which, I assume, was part of your plan?"

"Plan?" he asked innocently. "What plan?"

She angled her head. "You are an evil man, John Sheppard."

"Well someone's got to put two and two together before we _all_ lose our money."

* * *

"Look, all I'm saying is that this is getting a little too crazy, don't you think?" Jen whispered, propping her hip against the bathroom counter. "I mean…" she angled her head towards the closed door. "I can't even pee without a three-point-guard!"

Laura smiled at Jen through the reflection in the mirror. "Oh come on," she laughed quietly. "Admit it. You love the attention. All that yummy testosterone wrapped up in combat attire?" She sighed dramatically.

"I do not love it!" Jen hissed. "And how am I supposed to get any work done? I can't turn around without bumping into a Tac-vest!"

Laura wiggled her eyebrows. "Mmmm…bumping with body armor…"

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter…" Jen chastised

"You brought it up."

Jen rolled her eyes. "Would you be serious? You know damn well I can't work this way."

Laura leaned forward and threw her arms around Jen for a quick hug. "I know, J," she said softly, pulling away to lean back against the sink. "But it's only temporary. Once we catch this guy, and we will catch him, you can go back to living life on the wild side."

Jen snorted.

"But until we catch him," Laura continued, her voice low, but firm. "I need you to promise me you're not going to try anything stupid like ditching your bodyguard."

"I highly doubt it's even technically possible."

"Sure it is," Laura nodded. "He's not here right now, right?"

"That's only because Woolsey call them all into a briefing," Jen countered, thinking of how reluctant both Ronon and Evan had been to go _anywhere_. It was only because John had agreed to assign all three remaining members of Evan's team to the two women Ronon and Evan had finally relented and agreed to a _short_ meeting.

"So…" Laura eyed Jen suspiciously. "Anything you want to share about last night?"

"Last night?" Jen blinked, fighting the flush that was creeping up her cheeks. She'd slept incredibly well plastered up against Ronon. Warm. Safe. And had totally forgotten he was there until she'd awoken to the incredibly unusual sense that someone was in bed with her. She'd been so startled she rolled right out of the bed and onto the floor. Much to Ronon's concern and amusement.

Laura leaned a little closer. "Anything happen I should know about?"

"Nope," Jen straightened quickly and turned towards the door. Definitely not sharing that little flub unless absolutely necessary.

"Oh come on!" Laura pouted. "I'd tell you!"

"Liar," Jen snorted as she stepped out into the back corner of the infirmary.

"Who's lying?" Captain Sanchez asked, turning towards the two women.

"Who do you think?" Ellis tipped his head towards Laura.

"One of these days, Ellis…" Laura scowled at him, but Jen could see the laughter sparkling behind the threat.

"Promises, promises," Ellis shook his head slowly.

Jen stepped forward, flanked by Browne and Sanchez. Behind her, Ellis and Laura continued to exchange barbs.

The young Captain glanced down at Jen. "Where to?" he asked, adjusting his hold on his P90.

"My place," Laura answered from behind them. "I need to find my mp3 player."

"You mean _my_ MP3 player," Jen called out over her shoulder as the group moved into the main corridor.

"Yeah, yeah," Laura rolled her eyes. She glanced up at Ellis beside her. "Apparently breaking hers while _saving her life_," she accented, "means she gets mine until I get her a replacement."

"Seems fair," Sanchez agreed.

"Thank you," Jen nodded.

The group crowded into the transporter. Ellis stepped towards the front, blocking Laura in with Jen at the back. Laura stuck her tongue out at his back.

"Behave," Jen chastised, knowing her friend was all that happy with the specialized protective treatment either. They exited the transporter and were immediately grouped in by the trio of bodyguards.

"They finished checking your room, right?" Jen asked, her footsteps slowing slightly as they reached the corner of the corridor and the entrance Laura's quarters.

"Checked and re-checked," Sanchez assured her. "No booby traps."

The two guards stationed outside the door straightened when they approached. Sanchez turned towards Laura. "McKay changed the protocol's so _any_ attempt to override the access by anything other than your DNA will trigger a lockdown of the entire sub-section."

"Cool," Laura blinked, clearly impressed.

Ellis and Browne pulled Jen to the side.

"I thought you said it was safe?" Jen blinked up at them, worried.

Laura laughed and swiped her hand over the access panel. "With you, J, nothing is safe." The door slid silently open. Laura glanced over her shoulder. "See? No 'splosions."

"Yeah, yeah," Jen let out the breath she'd been holding. "Now go get my iPod and let's get out of here."

Laura stepped forward but was immediately blocked by Sanchez. "Nuh-uh," he shook his head and stepped slowly into the room. After a brief moment he returned. "Clear."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Laura muttered, brushing past him.

Jen stepped into the room followed by Ellis and Browne. She almost laughed to see the state of Laura's quarters.

"Good god, woman…" Browne exclaimed. "This place is a disaster."

"I like to think of it as organized chaos. I know exactly where everything is," Laura shoved a pile of laundry off a chair and looked under the cushion. "Now where did I put that damn iPod…"

Jen glanced around the room, admiring the total disaster. The bed was half made, blankets tossed aside, and piles of clothes randomly scattered across the floor. Laura was an obsessively compulsive neat freak when it came to her work, but her room always looked like a college dorm after frosh week.

Right now, the only semi-organized surface was the nightstand, it's sole occupant a large flowerpot housing a massive sunflower with pointed, black tipped petals.

"Who the hell would give you a flower?" Ellis snorted.

"What flower?" Laura dropped to her knees and reached under the bed.

Jen eyed the plant, curiosity moving her closer. The stock was short and stunted, making it look oddly dwarfed. It drooped dramatically, tipping the head of the flower towards the floor. She couldn't get a good look at the flower itself, but something about it made her stomach knot.

"Someone who doesn't know her, obviously…" Browne added. "Flowers are for girls after all."

"Keep talking, Browne," Laura muttered as she stretched her head and shoulders under the bed. "Maybe you'll actually say something intelligent."

Sanchez and Ellis laughed.

Jen stepped closer, tilting her head to get a better look at the head of the flower. There was something about it…

"Gotcha," Laura exclaimed, crawling back and holding up a neon pink iPod. She bumped the bed with her shoulder as she stood, which in turn bumped the nightstand. The heavy flower pot rocked precariously, rattling against the table top.

"What's that?" Laura sat up, eyeing the plant. The rattling slowed as the plant settled back down. The leafy stem continued to sway lightly, undulating back and forth.

"A flower?" Browne said slowly, as though talking to a child.

"Where'd it come from," Laura made a face, stepping towards the potted plant.

Realization skipped Jen's heart into overdrive. She gripped Sanchez's wrist, and squeezed tightly. "Ohshitstop!" she hissed, panic turning her voice into a strangled squawk.

Everyone froze.

Sanchez attention snapped towards Jen.

"Don't move," she ordered, her voice hissing out in a fast exhale. "It's not a flower."

"What do you mean it's not a flower?" Laura scowled.

"Keep your voice down!" Jen ordered, glaring at Laura.

"Uh…guys?" Ellis said softly.

Jen blinked, shifting her gaze towards the Lieutenant, who was staring wide eyed at the nightstand.

"Did that thing just move?" he finished.

All eyes shifted back to the plant. The yellow centered head was now upright, tall and stiff, balanced pertly on top of the thick stock. The leaves swayed as though drifting in a light breeze. The only problem was… there was no moving air.

"What the hell …?" Sanchez shifted his weight, turning slowly towards the plant.

"Don't…move!" Jen commanded.

In front of them the head of the flower turned slowly, centering in on the corner where Jen and the captain stood. A split appeared in the center, widening with a deep yawn. The opening showcased a long row of sharp, pointed teeth.

"Ho...ly...shit," Laura exhaled.

"Doc?" Sanchez whispered, leaving the rest of the question hanging in the silence.

"Deadly," Jen answered, doing her best to keep her lips from moving. She inhaled slowly, willing her heartbeat to calm enough to let her think clearly.

"How deadly?" Browne whispered.

Jen directed her gaze away from the plant and over to where the Lieutenant was standing at the foot of the bed. "Petals are covered in poison," she whispered. "It can shoot them up to twenty feet."

"Shoot them?" Browne blinked.

The large head of flower swung towards the Lieutenant, dipping and straightening on its stem like a large snake. Everyone held their breath while it twisted back and forth as though searching for a target. After a moment it seemed satisfied with the silence and stilled.

Jen exhaled through her mouth, forcing her breath to remain even and slow. "It senses movement," she whispered slowly. "One dose carries enough poison to kill the average adult in less than a minute."

"Please tell me we have an antidote?" Laura hissed.

"There is an antidote," Jen acknowledged. "But they'd never get it here in time."

The ensuing silence confirmed everyone understood Jen's message.

If they moved, they died.


	17. Chapter 17

The small group stood in silence, staring at the planter on the nightstand.

"Suggestions?" Sanchez hissed.

"Shoot it," Ellis answered.

"No!" Jen whispered. "No shooting! No explosions, no poking, no touching, no spitting, no cutting, no tearing it apart."

"No spitting?" Ellis repeated with a soft snort.

Ignoring him, Laura glanced at Jen out of the corner of her eye. "And why the hell not?"

"Because the pollen is highly toxic," Jen answered.

Ellis sighed. "It shoots poison darts _and_ it's toxic?"

"Yes."

"You've got to be kidding me," Browne groaned under his breath. "Really?"

"Really," Jen replied.

"Doc we've gotta talk about getting you a lucky charm or something…" Ellis mumbled.

"Or a bodyguard," Browne added quietly, then paused. "No, no, wait… that would be us," he muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah well you're fired," Laura hissed.

"How can this be my fault?" Jen glared at Ellis out of the corner of her eye. "It's not even my room."

"Because only you could stumble across something so innocuous as a sunflower that shoots poisonous darts," he replied.

"Petals," she corrected with a scowl. "Poisonous petals."

"And pollen," Browne added.

"And everyone wonders why I hate flowers…" Laura muttered.

Jen glanced up at Sanchez, who was shifting his attention slowly around at their small group. Moving her eyes only, Jen followed the direction of his gaze. Laura was standing beside the bed next to Browne. They were the closest in range of the deadly flower. To the left, Jen and the Captain stood shoulder to shoulder, a few feet to the side of the two Lieutenants. Behind and to the right, Ellis was the closest to the door, but still far enough away he wouldn't be able to reach it safely. Each person was well within target distance should the flower decide to attack.

The sunflower swayed on its stem, the giant head snapping from spot to spot around the room as it looked for a viable target. It was one of the creepiest things Jen had ever seen. Without her Pegasus experience to date, she might not have believed her eyes. But she did believe. Completely. The angrily jerking flower was one hundred percent deadly.

"We have to warn them," she whispered. "If anyone opens the door…"

"They can't," Ellis reminded her. "The sensor is tagged to Cadman. If anyone opens it we go into lockdown—"

"—and die," Laura finished.

"Lockdown will not kill us," Jen frowned.

"No, the plant will when the Marines bust in because we're not answering our radio's," Laura hissed.

"Doc," Sanchez looked down at Jen. "Can you reach my com?"

Jen shifted her attention to their body placement, noting that her left arm was partially hidden behind his back. "I think so." She slowly maneuvered her hand up the Captain's back, taking care not to shift her shoulder more than necessary. When she reached his neck the Captain let out a half snort.

"Tickles," he muttered.

"Sorry," Jen whispered, inching her fingers close to his ear.

"Careful Doc… that's the most action he's seen all year…" Ellis snorted.

Jen activated the Captain's com and slowly lowered her hand. "Evacuate all personnel from the entire sub-section," she commanded softly, "and order a level one biohazard containment. Lock it down."

The moment the Captain finished repeating Jen's order, her own com immediately crackled to life. She couldn't answer, but the audio traffic confirmed the situation was being taken seriously.

After a few tense moments, a thrumming clang announced the closing of all doors as the protocols ordered the entire section to be sealed off.

"Captain, Report!" John's command came with authority and a dash of breathlessness as he clearly spoke while running.

Sanchez quietly described their situation.

"You're being held hostage by a flower?" The Colonel's disbelief was obvious.

"Affirmative, Sir," the Captain replied, quickly summarizing Jen's description of the plant's deadly attributes.

Jen wrinkled her nose at the string of curses assaulting her ear.

"God damn biologists!" John was saying. "Who the hell thought that was a good idea to bring back! I swear... Is everyone okay?"

"For the moment," Sanchez replied, "But our flowery friend doesn't seem to happy at being disturbed.

"Well don't piss it off any further!"

"Wasn't planning on it, Sir."

"Have them find Dr. Gershin," Jen whispered. "He'll know how to contain it. And they need to get the antitoxin. No one comes in without it."

Sanchez relayed Jen's instructions.

"Understood," John answered, repeating the orders to whoever was with him. "We're almost at the outer levels of the crew quarters. And you're sure no one's been…bitten…stabbed…infected…"

"No sir, we're all good. But the door is within line of sight of the plant, Sir."

"Don't worry Captain, we're not coming in without a plan."

* * *

John glared at the metal door, mentally decapitating the person or persons responsible for trapping his people on the other side. He glanced over his shoulder at Rodney.

The scientist answered the unvoiced question with a dismissive wave. Then he jabbed his index finger at his tablet balancing in the crook of his arm. "Almost. If you give me one minute….there." He looked up. "I've isolated both Cadman's room and the one to the right. Both share the same air intake. They're completely sealed off from the rest of the city. We're good to go."

The doors before them slid open, exposing the rest of the corridor.

John jumped forward, shadowed by Ronon, Teyla and Rodney. They ran down the corridor, working their way towards the far end where Laura's quarters were situated. Reaching the last intersection they slowed to a stop and turned the corner. The group approached the door to the Lieutenant's quarters in silence, stopping a few feet from the door control.

Booted footfalls announced another approach. John glanced over his shoulder at his oncoming second in command. Evan's pace slowed and he walked cautiously forward.

Marie followed behind him, her pockets jingling with a light metallic clanking. She stopped next to the group and extracted a handful of auto-injectors. "Antitoxin," she said briskly, holding up the first container.

"Don't inoculations normally take like, 10 days or something?" John asked, tipping his head to the side giving Marie room to inject him with the antidote.

"Thanks to Dr. Beckett and a little input from the Ancient database, waiting is no longer an issue," Marie answered, repeating the process with the rest of the team. "It will be active in your system within seconds."

As soon as she was finished Evan held out his hand, accepting the last five injectors. He kept one for himself, and handed one to each person. "If this goes to hell we'll have sixty seconds tops before the poison takes effect. One dose…" he wiggled the auto injector in his hand, "…one person…" He pointed towards the closed door. "No mistakes."

Marie placed her hand on John's shoulder, drawing his attention. "I'm going back to help Dr. Cole prep more incase we need it. These are all we have in stock." Not waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and hurried down the corridor.

"So what is the plan?" Teyla asked softly, eyeing the closed door warily.

"We kill it, we get our people out, then we Rapunzel those two in a tower somewhere far, far away."

* * *

In the lower levels of tower twenty-seven, Sergeant Jimmy Porter tightened his grip on his P90 and stepped around the smashed remnants of a potted plant. At his side, Lieutenant Walsh mimicked his steady pace, both men warily scanning the small lab.

Jimmy maneuvered around an overturned wheeled cart, it's fern-like occupants now lying scattered across the floor in a mess of pot shards and soil. Taking two hurried steps forward, the Sergeant tapped his com and dropped to his knees next to the man lying face down at the end of the aisle.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Sergeant Porter." Jimmy placed his fingers on the side of the scientist's neck. He didn't really need to touch the body to confirm what he already knew. The dead eyed stare and pool of blood were clue enough. But he checked anyway. Cold and stiff.

"Go ahead, Sergeant," his CO replied.

"We've got a problem, Sir," Jimmy stood and followed Walsh to clear the back of the room. "Dr. Gershin is dead."

"Dead? What do you mean he's dead?! How?"

"Don't know, Sir." Jimmy confirmed the back office was empty. He stepped back into the main room, and eyed the obvious signs of a struggle. "But from the looks of things, he didn't go willingly."

"Please tell me he wasn't killed by some kind of fern?"

"No sir," Jimmy stared down at the blood rimmed circular hole in the doctor's temple. "Not unless the ferns are armed."

* * *

Back in the room Jen felt a sense of dismay wash over her. _Someone killed Dr. Gershin?_ Tensing, she fought the shudder traipsing down her spine.

"Oh crap. That can't be good…" Laura whispered, glancing at Jen out of the corner of her eye.

Jen started to shake her head, catching herself when the flower twitched towards her. She held her breath until it moved off, seeming to find something of interest on the wall next to the bed. "No," she whispered. "That's not good."

"Now what?" Ellis asked.

"I don't know," Jen answered truthfully. She blinked towards the door across the room. "We could try to back up?"

"No," Sanchez exhaled. "We hold."

"For how long?" Jen asked.

"For as long as it takes."

* * *

In the corridor, John eyed Rodney's tablet. "Show me."

Rodney shifted the tablet around so the others could see it.

John blinked at the rather harmless looking image. "A sunflower?"

"Ha," Rodney snorted. "The only thing this _little-shop-of-horrors_ doesn't do is eat people. Poisonous petals able that shoot up to twenty feet...toxin infects the blood stream and paralyzes the victim by stopping the heart in an average of sixty seconds…airborne pollen that clogs your airways until you suffocate…" he shook his head slowly. "It's the perfect flower for Cadman, actually…"

"Facts, McKay," John pleaded.

"Does it say how to kill it?" Ronon interrupted.

"It's a plant," Rodney scowled, "Not a wraith."

"_Can_ we kill it?" John rephrased the question.

Rodney shifted through the content on the screen, summarizing aloud. "Its motion sensitive. Affected by sound waves and air currents. Sudden movements and loud noises set it off…" he trailed off. "Wait. Here."

John leaned closer.

"Cold," the scientist nodded. "It doesn't like the cold."

"How cold?" Evan stepped closer, his expression closed.

Rodney glanced up at the major. "It might be deadly, but it's still a plant. Freeze it and it dies."

John immediately recognized the calculating expression on Rodney's face. There was a plan being formed in there. But they didn't have time for a multi-level layered approach. They needed a solution now. "If that thing goes off, we have sixty seconds tops. Whatever you're thinking, it needs to be fast, McKay."

"Okay," Rodney made a quick calculation on his tablet then angled it so the others could see. The screen showed a close up blueprint of their current location and the surrounding rooms. Rodney circled Laura's quarters and the one beside with his index finger. "These two rooms are locked down, no air in or out. All city doors have air-tight seals when they close, that's how we're able to quarantine by section. So right now, this area is completely self-contained. If that plant…attacks…it's contained to these two rooms only.

"How does that help us get them out?"

"It doesn't," he held up his hand in protest when John opened his mouth to retort. "It helps us kill the plant. Look. Freeze it, and it dies. Every room, every section of this city is temperature regulated. Drop the temperature of the room to freezing and kill the plant."

"And the people?" Teyla asked.

"Hypothermia is a likely result," Rodney admitted.

"No," Ronon shook his head. His expression was impassive, but his stance pretty much conveyed the pent up helplessness they were all feeling. "There has to be another way."

"Fine," Rodney shook his head. "You have a better idea?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Hypothermia is an easy out compared to a deadly toxin that can kill in less than sixty seconds."

John turned back to Rodney. "How long will it take to drop the temperature?"

"Fifteen minutes, tops."

"And how long to kill the plant?" Evan leaned closer.

Rodney referred to his tablet. "Ten to twenty minutes to disable it, an hour to kill it."

"An hour?" Telya's statement carried the weight of a heavy question. There was no way the occupants of the room could survive freezing temperatures, unaided, for an hour.

"Gerbin's notes suggest that by the twenty minute mark, the plant should be sufficiently disabled that our people can move back to a safe distance."

"Gershin," John corrected. "So you mean you want to what, put it to sleep?"

"Essentially," Rodney nodded, looking to the others for approval.

"Hypothermia causes shaking," the Colonel mused aloud.

Rodney tapped his com. "Jennifer, it's Rodney. Look I know you can't answer, but we think we have a solution. Gerber's notes suggest the plant can be disabled with a sudden drop in temperature. We want to lower the temperature in the room to 10 degrees Celsius."

"Doc," John broke in, "Rodney thinks we can put it to sleep if we get it cold enough."

"How long?" Sanchez replied.

"Ten to twenty," John replied.

The gathered group waited in silence for the reply.

"Doc says at ten degrees we have about an hour before death—"

"All right then," Rodney began.

"—but with the way we're dressed," the Captain continued, "we've got fifteen minutes before uncontrollable shivers and mental confusion. Less for the Doc and Lieutenant. They're not wearing vests."

"Crap," John exhaled.

"Doc says drop it faster," Sanchez added.

"Faster?" Evan raised an eyebrow.

John nodded, watching Rodney working on the tablet. "Shorter exposure means less chance of hypothermia."

"How much faster?" Ronon spoke to the closed door.

"Jennifer," Rodney's voice was slightly muffled by the angle of his chin while he concentrated on his calculations, "we can get it down to fifteen degrees in eight minutes. Any faster and we risk pushing too much air. It might set it off."

"Agreed," Captain Sanchez replied. "Doc says be ready with blankets, and have Marie prep the staff…and…what?" The Captain's voice paused. "Oh, and a round of hot toddies," he added, humour evident in the lilt of his voice.

John rolled his eyes at the Major on his left. That request could only have come from one person—Cadman. Evan flashed a smirk, obviously reaching the same conclusion.

The Colonel gave his head a slight shake and turned towards McKay.

"Do it."


	18. Chapter 18

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ** Sorry this has been so long in posting! The holidays sucked me in! But I'm back and here's the next installment! When we left the girls, they were stuck in Laura's quarters with SGA2 and a killer sunflower. :) Rodney's solution? Freeze the room and put the plant to sleep. Now, on with the story! -- Nika_

* * *

Ten minutes later Jen was beginning to question her orders. It was damn cold. Her breath misted up in front of her face. She tensed and released various muscle groups, trying to keep blood flowing without moving. She'd somehow managed to maneuver herself closer to Sanchez, leaning her left side against his back. He fought a laugh when she cursed him for still being warm.

Laura had managed to raise her arms slowly enough they were now crossed over her chest. Jen had a feeling it wasn't much help, but it was something.

The urge to rub her hands together was agonizing. She could move the arm that was hidden behind the Captain's back, but her right side was still exposed. Her fingers were starting to sting under the effects of the dropping temperature.

To Rodney's credit, the flower seemed to be moving with less finesse. Instead of snapping its head around angrily, it was now swaying in more of a sleepy swish.

Jen wished she had a tablet so she could check Dr. Gershin's research. Was the flower still as deadly if it was half asleep? Did the range of the petals drop with the temperature? Too many unanswered questions left her just as frozen has her feet. They couldn't chance moving until they knew for sure.

She eyed her companions. If they had to stay any longer, she was pretty sure the taunting in the room was going to reach critical levels. The boys had already taken sarcasm to an impressive level, trying to out do each other with the taunts and jabs, going so far as to whittle their barbs down to single words. It might have been funny, if she wasn't trying so hard to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Twenty five degrees," Rodney's voice announced in her ear, startling her. Jen bit her tongue in an attempt to keep from shrieking.

"How the hell does he know that?" Browne muttered.

"Ancient thermometer?" Ellis suggested.

"How about he get an Ancient _hurry the hell up or I'm going to kick his ass_ o'mom'ter?" Laura grumbled.

"Tough it up, Lieutenant," Ellis smirked.

"Careful, Elly…" Laura pursed her lips. "Your lucky flower isn't going to protect you much longer."

"Elly?" Jen snickered. That was new. She glanced at the Lieutenant out of the corner of her eye. He was glaring daggers at Laura's back. Jen might have laughed if she wasn't trying so hard to keep her teeth from chattering.

Laura glanced at Captain Sanchez. "I thought it needed to be colder?"

"Complaining?" Sanchez smirked.

"A little help?" Laura shifted her attention to Jen.

Jen sighed, and glanced up at the Captain. "She's right."

"She is?" Browne snorted.

"Shut it." Laura warned.

"Whatcha gonna do," he replied. "You can't move."

"Not yet…" Laura threatened.

Jen shifted her hand against Sanchez back, accenting her instructions. "Laura's right. It should have been colder by now according to Dr. McKay's previous calculations. Captain, could you find out if there's something wrong, please?"

* * *

Outside the room Rodney rolled his eyes at the question. "Yes, yes," he answered, ignoring Sheppard's questioning look. "Well it would be colder if Cadman's room wasn't a closet of insulating elements."

"What?" John blinked.

Rodney waved his hand dismissively. "Body heat, okay? Body heat. It's taking a little longer to drop the room temperature because of all the…hot air… in the room."

"Lieutenant Cadman said to tell you she can hear you," Captain Sanchez' voice came over the com.

"Then tell her to stop blowing hot air," Rodney retorted.

"McKay, please don't taunt my people…" John sighed, exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah," Rodney muttered, making calculations on his tablet. "It'll take another five to seven minutes."

"Is that an estimate?" Ronon asked, halting his pacing to glance at the scientist.

"No," Rodney glanced over at him. "But without knowing the exact weight of all parties involved I can't properly calculate the timing other than by estimating body size."

Attention shifted to the end of the corridor, and the approach of Dr. Zelenka. Radek hurried towards them, cradling a large silver canister in his hands.

"That it?" John asked, striding forward.

Radek nodded. "It is." He handed the container to the Colonel. "And may I remind you Colonel, the contents are under great pressure—"

"Don't worry," John took the silver cylinder. "I won't leave it on any radiators."

* * *

Jen could now clearly see her breath, her teeth were chattering, and her arms were beginning to shake at regular intervals. Whatever Rodney was doing he'd obviously stepped things up. But would it be enough?

She watched with morbid fascination as the flower rose and surged, shaking it's massive yellow head side to side as though trying to keep awake. She sympathized. She'd love to move her trembling legs. Even just a little bit. But the sporadic movement of the plant forced her to stand still. She concentrated on keeping her knees locked and prayed Rodney would be right and the temperature would dumbfound the plant long enough for them to get out. Although she wasn't sure that if given the chance, she'd be able to move even an inch without toppling over.

"Anytime now," Laura muttered, slowly clenching and unclenching her fingers.

"Try sliding back," Browne suggested.

Laura shifted her attention from the Captain to Jen.

Jen eyed the plant, which was drooped towards the floor. She tilted her head slightly. "Slowly," she cautioned her friend, not missing the telltale tremble in Laura's fingertips.

Letting her breath out slowly, Laura wriggled her left leg, sliding her foot behind her. She stared at the plant, hesitating when it jerked. After it lost focus, she continued to ease herself away from the bed

The plant jerked up, snapping side to side as though it was noticing the change in spacing of the objects in the room.

"Stop," Jen hissed.

The head of the plant snapped around honing in on Jen. It cracked wide, the center breaking open into an evil grimace. Her heart skipped several beats then slammed into a scattered pounding as the flower opened and closed with a violent snapping. After a few moments it seemed to calm itself, eventually settling into a subdued slouch.

"Shit," Sanchez muttered once the plant turned its attention to the floor and remained still.

Jen was pretty sure it wasn't the cold that was making her shake this time.

"Captain?" John's question snapped over their radios.

"Sir," Sanchez replied. "Sorry, plant got a little ornery."

"McKay figures we've got another five minutes, tops. How's things look in there?"

"Frosty," the captain answered. "But its definitely working. Our petaled friend is half asleep…it's when it jerks awake that we have issues."

"Understood," John answered curtly. "Hang in there."

Within a few minutes it was clear to Jen that time was running out. She was having a hard time remembering she wasn't supposed to move.

"C-captain," she whispered, "we're out of time."

* * *

With a slight wave of his hand, Sanchez signaled to Laura to resume her backwards motion. At the same time, he eased himself sideways, sliding in front of Jen.

"Captain…" Jen warned, understanding he was playing bodyguard.

"Sorry Doc," Sanchez whispered. "Orders are orders."

"I have the same radio as you," she scowled, staring up at the back of his head.

"I didn't say they were recent orders," the Captain said over his shoulder.

Laura continued to ease herself back until she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Lieutenant Browne. When he tried to move in front of her, Laura let out a very Ronon-esque growl.

Browne stopped. "Okay then…" he mumbled.

Throughout the position change the flower remained dormant. Jen silently prayed it would remain that way long enough for their group to slither into the hallway… however with her current condition worsening by the minute, she was pretty sure walking smoothly was out of the question.

"Captain?" John asked.

"It's quiet," Sanchez replied. "Sleeping maybe? Hasn't moved for a few minutes now."

"We're coming in," John replied.

"Understood."

The quiet swish of the door startled everyone. Jen was pretty sure it was due to the effects of the cold, and not the fact that they'd forgotten about the door.

She glanced over her shoulder as John inched his way into the room, holding a very large, shiny canister. She didn't recognize it. She frowned. Either she didn't know what it was, or she was further gone that she thought. She shuddered, and swayed into Sanchez.

John moved slowly past Ellis, who was the closest to the door. Stepping into his shadow, Ronon moved into the room. He paused, surveyed, then moved to the side. He kept his eyes on the plant while he made his way towards Jen and the Captain.

Behind him Major Lorne followed, stopping beside Ellis, holding up a tiny silver tube. This time Jen did recognize the object—a hypo-spray. She hoped it was the antitoxin to combat the effects of the crazy plant.

Evan gave Ellis the dose of the anti-toxin, then urged the Lieutenant to the safety of the corridor beyond.

Ronon stopped beside her. He lifted a hypo-spray and held it to her neck. Jen barely felt the sting, she was so cold.

"You okay?" he asked, dropping his gaze down to her toes then back up again.

"Y-yep," she chattered. "P-peachy."

He snorted, and administered a second dose to Captain Sanchez. Behind him, Evan had returned, repeating the dose with Laura and Lieutenant Browne.

At the front of the room, John stopped in front of the plant. He shifted the canister in his hands, and flipped open one end.

Screened behind Ronon and Sanchez, Jen watched John extract a narrow hose and point it at the plant. A hissing cloud of white spray flew from the end of the hose, clouding around the plant with a loud roar.

Jen jerked in surprise.

The cloud quickly dispersed and settled to the floor, leaving John standing in front of a crystallized flower. The entire plant looked like it was made of sparkling white ice.

"What just h-h-happened?" Jen asked.

"Dr. Zelenka's contribution." Evan answered. "Liquid Nitrogen…with kick.

"In a handy-dandy spray bottle." John glanced at the canister in his hand and nodded in approval. Then he lifted the container and slammed it into the iced plant, shattering the flower into a thousand tiny pieces.

Rodney stuck his head into the room. "Going a little overboard, Mr. Freeze?"

John shrugged. "Just making sure."

"Drama queen," Laura mumbled, and promptly sat on the floor.

Relief washed over Jen with such ferocity her legs wobbled and she bounced forward into Sanchez.

Ronon hooked his arm around her waist and turned her towards the door. Warm air surrounded her as they moved into the hallway. Jen bobbled sideways, forgoing embarrassment at needing Ronon's help. He was just so damn warm.

Laura followed, supported by Evan.

Outside the door, John handed Radek the container. "Nice toy," he commented. "Thanks Radek."

"You're quite welcome, Colonel," the scientist replied. "Glad it was helpful."

"Showoff," Rodney muttered, glaring at Radek.

"Everyone okay?" John asked, surveying the group.

"Cold, cold, cold," Laura muttered.

"What she s-said," Jen nodded.

John smirked. "Okay, everyone to the infirmary."

"Infirmary," Rodney looked sharply at the Colonel. "Why? I thought we had the antidote?"

"Hypothermia," John pronounced slowly.

"Oh. Right." Rodney glanced at Jen for confirmation.

"Infirmary," Jen bobbed her head in agreement. "Checkup and blankets."

"And hot toddies," Laura reminded her.

"And hot toddies," Jen smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: My apologies everyone to such a delay in posting the next chapter. Life has been anything but calm lately, but I assure you, I won't forget this story! :) When we left the gang they'd just escaped from the killer sunflower! And now, on with the story!**

* * *

John stepped into the corridor outside the busy infirmary. He was quickly joined by Ronon, Evan and Teyla.

"As soon as they're cleared I need you two to get Keller and Cadman out of here," he said quietly, shifting his attention from Ronon to Evan. "Someplace they're not associated with, but keep it close." He angled his head towards Teyla. "We're going to check out the biology lab."

"Understood," Evan nodded.

"Keep the location to yourself," John reminded the duo before moving down the corridor with Teyla at his side.

"Okay this guy is starting to really piss me off," John muttered as they reached the transporter.

"Just _starting_?" Teyla asked.

John scowled at the city map and jabbed his index finger at the dot closest to the biology lab. "He's been one step ahead of us the whole time. He's either incredibly good, or incredibly lucky."

The doors opened and they stepped into the corridor. Across the hallway Sergeant Porter stepped forward. "Sir," he nodded. "Ms. Emmagen."

"Jimmy," Teyla smiled warmly.

"He's over here," Jimmy angled his head to the corridor to the right. "We left it as we found it. Walsh is keeping an eye on things."

Jimmy lead them down an intersecting corridor. Walsh stood in the hallway next to an open doorway. He saluted smartly as the group approached.

"In here," Jimmy pointed into the opening.

John stepped into the lab, warily eyeing the long rows of greenery. He kept to the middle of the aisle as he moved towards the prone body of Dr. Gershin. He shook his head slowly then glanced up at Jimmy. "Call Marie. Have her send someone up to take the body. Tell her we need confirmation on cause of death. Then take Walsh and get Dr. Lansing and Dr. Oginski down here. We need to know if anything else is missing. But keep it quiet."

"Roger that," Jimmy replied smartly, and turned on his heel.

John radioed Major Buchannan's team to cover the corridors intersecting the labs. Until they knew what else might be missing, the biology areas were now officially off limits. Whoever had taken out Dr. Gershin was either good enough to get the drop on him, or someone the scientist knew. John was placing bets on a combination of both. The killer was someone who knew enough about the lab to be able to transport the flower without taking themselves out of the picture, but skilled enough to kill Gershin without tipping his hand.

Lucky… and good.

A dangerous combination.

* * *

"Really?" Laura asked, eyeing the plush quarters warily. She ran her finger down the length of an antique oak desk. "_This_ is where we're staying?"

Shadowed by Ronon, Jen peered into the adjoining bedroom. "It is the IOA we're talking about," she shrugged. "Heaven knows they couldn't just stay in regular crew quarters. They might melt."

Laura followed Jen to the front of the sitting area and the floor to ceiling windows. "So…our super-safe hidey-hole is the best outlaid room in the city? What kind of cock-eyed plan is that?"

"Careful," Evan moved to stand beside them. "This was Ronon's idea."

Laura glanced over her shoulder at the Satedan.

"This guy knows your moves," Ronon shrugged. "But he doesn't know mine. He's expecting you to run."

"I don't run," Laura crossed her arms over her chest.

"Relax Spaz," Jen smirked. "I think he meant the Royal 'you'."

"The Royal you?" Ronon repeated.

Jen waved her hand. "I'll explain later. So Laura and I are staying here, then?"

Ronon nodded.

"_We're_ staying here," Evan corrected. "All of us."

"Oh," Jen flushed and glanced quickly at Laura.

Laura bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Changing the subject, Laura pointed to the front door. "I still say we should have commandeered the armory. Multiple weapons _and_ multiple exits. One way in is also one way out."

Evan pointed to the duffel bag on the floor in the middle of the room. "Relax, Red. I'm pretty sure we're covered."

"Ooh," Laura grinned. "Presents?"

"Yes, and they're not _all_ for you," he rolled his eyes and walked around the desk in the corner. "And as for exits, the IOA picked this section for a reason. They may be pompous, but they're also paranoid." He reached up and twisted one of the wall sconces. To his right, a wall panel slid aside revealing a narrow corridor. "Leads to the alcove next to the transporter."

"Oh now that's just cool!" Laura exclaimed, hurrying towards him. "Secret passageways! Is this the only one?"

Evan released the lighting fixture and the panel slid back into place. "There's one in the bathroom to the right of the sink. Pull up on the faucet and spin it clockwise."

"Sweet," Laura grinned, then she pursed her lips. "Hey, how come I didn't hear about this before now?"

"Because the IOA swore us to secrecy."

"Really?" Laura frowned at him.

"No," Evan grinned. "Zelenka's people just finished installing them last week. IOA request before their yearly visit next month."

"Can I—"

"No," he interrupted. "You can _not_ have one."

"But—"

"And no blackmailing McKay for one, either."

Laura pouted. "Spoilsport."

"Yeah. You just remember who brought you the C4."

She smiled. "Awww, you always do know exactly what to say to a girl…"

"Oh get a room," Jen muttered, turning away from the windows.

"We have one," Laura wriggled her eyebrows. "I don't know where you're sleeping though."

Jen walked over to the couch and sank into the cushions with a squeak. "Jeeze… this thing's like sitting on a giant sponge!" She wriggled around, and settled back with a sigh. She narrowed her eyes at Evan. "I _want_ this couch."

"Uh-huh…" Evan rolled his eyes. "Not you, too."

Laura flopped down beside her friend. "Oh my god…" She kicked her booted feet up onto the polished glass coffee table and reclined into the soft cushions. "Give me a big screen and an order of suicide wings and I'm in heaven."

"You are so not eating wings on my couch," Jen rolled her head to glare at Laura.

Laura scoffed. "You'd have to get it past me, Blondie."

"Watch me," Jen raised an eyebrow.

"Later…" Laura sank back into the pillows. "Right now I'm too comfy…"

The electronic chime of the front door shot Laura to her feet. Weapon drawn, Evan hauled Jen up out of the cushions and shoved her towards the bedroom. He picked up the duffel and tossed it to Laura.

Laura ushered Jen into the bedroom and turned with a groan at the familiar timbre of Sheppard's voice. "For god's sake," she muttered, stepping back into the main room. "You need a secret knock or something…Sir," she added when Evan gave her a warning glare.

Ronon stuffed his blaster back into his holster and closed the door behind the Colonel and Teyla.

"Well…" Teyla said, her gaze sweeping the room. "This is...different."

Jen pushed past Laura and stepped into the main room. "And?" she demanded.

John dropped a large duffel onto the floor. "The lab's clean. Nothing else is missing."

"Dr. Gershin?" Jen asked.

"Single shot," John answered. "Small caliber. Marie's extracting it now."

"I suppose that's better than being speared by a fern…" Laura mused aloud.

"We've locked down the lab," John continued, "and McKay is going through security protocols to see if anything was missed. Apparently our sunflower was supposed to be in stasis. Problem is, _all_ of the white coats have access."

"So we're no closer to knowing who's behind this than we were before," Jen sighed.

"It does not appear so," Teyla answered softly.

"Woolsey's called a senior briefing for oh-eight-hundred," John added, glancing at his watch. "Until then, consider yourselves on lockdown. No visitors until morning." He pointed to the duffel he'd dropped by the door. "Snackies. If you ration the big guy they should do you until morning."

John backed towards the door. "McKay shielded this section from the sensors so this entire floor is showing as empty. Since these quarters are relegated to the IOA anyway, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone looking."

"But it also prevents us from noting anyone else," Teyla added.

John nodded his agreement. "So if anyone comes calling—"

"We got it covered," Ronon answered with a cold smile.

Evan frowned. "You know…I'd really like him to try."

"Me three," Laura chimed in.

"_I'd_ rather he didn't," Jen made a face. "I've had quite enough excitement for one day, thank you very much."

"Aww, come on, J.," Laura grinned. "Admit it. You love all the personal attention."

"I do not!" Jen flushed.

Laura pulled her away from the door while the others checked the corridor. Noting it was clear, John and Teyla stepped forward.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," the Colonel called over his shoulder.

"That is not much of a warning," Teyla answered as she followed him into the corridor. "Should you not be telling them to do what you would _not_ do, instead?"

John's retort was cut off as the door closed behind them.

* * *

"There's too many," Jen exclaimed, sitting straight up in bed. The room was enveloped in darkness, but the dim shapes and outlines were unfamiliar. Startled confusion over the strange surroundings overrode her good sense and she let out a squawk when the blankets flipped up beside her.

To Jen's right, Laura jerked upright in the bed, her hand gripping an M9.

The door to the room snapped open and Jen shrieked again, flinching when Ronon and Evan double teamed the open doorway.

Laura cursed and lowered her hand. Evan and Ronon stepped into the room, weapons lowered.

Evan triggered the lights.

"Oh for god's sake," Jen wacked Laura across the shoulder and glared at the two men inside the doorway. "Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?" Not waiting for an answer she shoved the covers off and scrambled off the bed. "I need a laptop."

"Laptop?" Evan frowned.

"That's what I said." Jen grabbed her sweatshirt off the chair and pulled it over her head. Her mind was jumping from scenario to scenario. "We've been looking in the wrong spot," she muttered to herself. "Stupid shipping containers. I knew there was something we were missing…" She'd had most of the pieces, but Laura and the damn gun-patrol had scattered a few them along with her normal heart rate. Thankful she'd slept in her clothes, she stuffed her feet into her shoes without bothering to find her socks. She turned towards the trio blocking her exit.

"Well," she stared at them pointedly. "What are you waiting for?"

"It's five o'clock in the morning," Laura complained, dropping her hands to her hips.

"Colonel said we're in until oh-eight-hundred," Evan reminded her.

Exasperated, Jen stared up at Ronon. "Get me to a computer," she commanded. "Now."

Ronon glanced at Evan, then back at Jen. "Come on," he turned on his heel and led her into the main room.

"Ronon," Evan called out. Cursing at the futility, he grabbed the duffel bag and tossed a Tac-vest at Laura. "Hell."

"I warned you." Laura caught the vest. "Damn brainiac DNA." She laced her boots then pulled on the vest. "Better call in the reinforcements," she scowled, securing the velcro straps. "This is going to get messy."


	20. Chapter 20

"Okay so what happened to the whole '_hiding_' part of the plan?" John muttered as he stopped in front of Major Lorne. Over the Major's shoulder he could see the others gathered in McKay's lab.

Evan stepped aside and ushered John and Teyla inside. "Doc thinks she's figured something out," the Major answered as the door swished closed behind them.

"Figured what out?" John asked.

Ronon straightened away from the wall inside the door. "Don't know yet." He angled his chin towards where Jennifer, Rodney and Radek were gathered around a cluster of laptops and computer screens in the corner. "They're working on it."

John nodded slowly. Rodney and Radek working together was one thing. Working together without one of them trying to strangle the other was something totally different. And right now, they seemed awfully compliant.

_Not a good sign._

In the opposite corner, Laura sat next to a large collection of snack foods and breakfast items.

"What's with the spread?" John eyed the impromptu buffet.

"McKay was hungry," Ronon answered, following the Colonel towards the table.

Behind them Teyla masked a snort behind her hand. John glanced over his shoulder to catch her smirking at Ronon. "Rodney was hungry?" she asked.

"What?" Ronon scowled as he grabbed for a bagel. "They're good."

"So what's the story?" John turned towards Laura.

Laura hopped off her stool and stretched. "Something about the numbers of cases," she waved her hand dismissively at the trio in the far corner. "All I know is Rodney insists doctor's aren't mathematicians, Radek keeps quoting random numbers, and Jen's already threatened to spike McKay's coffee with citrus if he doesn't stop bugging Radek."

"Hurry up with what?" Teyla asked.

Laura shook her head. "That's the question…"

Not willing to wait for answers, John crossed the room towards the trio.

"Here's another one," Jen nodded setting the tablet she was holding onto the counter. "Thirty five."

Radek set a folder of papers onto the desk next to Jen's laptop. "Three more from sixty two," he added, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "And one from seventy seven."

"You already counted that one," Rodney muttered, his fingers moving quickly across the keyboard.

"No, I counted the one from seventy nine," Radek retorted. "This is from seventy seven."

"Seventy seven what?" John asked, peering over Rodney's shoulder.

"So we have nine now." Ignoring John, Rodney grabbed for the papers in front of Radek. "Plus the two from sixteen."

"And the one from thirty five," Jen added turning the screen of her tablet around to face Rodney.

McKay nodded and returned to the data flipping across his screen.

"Shipment of what?" John prompted.

Zelenka leaned around the side of the monitor and pointed to the screen. "You already counted that one, Rodney."

Rodney slapped at Radek's fingers. "No that's the one from seventy nine." He jabbed his index finger towards the bottom of the screen. "This is the one from seventy seven."

"So we have twelve?" Jen stepped up to Rodney's other shoulder, wedging herself between John and the computer, effectively blocking the Colonel's view of the screen.

"Twelve what?" John asked, this time a little louder.

"Yes," Rodney answered.

Exasperated, John stepped around Radek and pushed the power button on the monitor. The screen went blank. Three bodies jerked in surprise and turned towards him. "Twelve _what_?" he repeated.

"Colonel," Jen blinked in surprise. Then she frowned. "When did you get here?"

"Three minutes ago," Rodney answered, reaching forward to turn the monitor back on. "And it's twelve _cases_."

"Twelve cases of what?" John asked.

Radek rolled his shoulders. "That we do not yet know. But thanks to Dr. Keller we are closer to finding the truth."

"I would have found it…" Rodney rolled his eyes. "I was already cross-referencing—"

"Enough," John spread his hands. "Explain. Now. In detail."

Rodney sighed and crossed his arms. "Fine. There's—"

"—too many cases," Jen blurted out.

"Too many cases?" John turned towards her.

Jen nodded. "We've been going about it all wrong." She reached for one of the stacks of papers from the desk beside her. "Because of the cases in the lower levels, we naturally assumed someone was stealing; that they were moving something from Atlantis to Earth using supply cases and the Daedalus."

She handed John the paperwork. He immediately recognized a standard requisition form. This particular version was regularly used to cross reference requested equipment with delivered supplies.

"Here," Jen pointed to an itemized entry for medical equipment.

"Microscope and accessories," John read. "Three cases."

"_I_ ordered that unit," Jen glanced up at him. "It was two cases. Not three."

"Two cases," he glanced at the date on the top of the form. "This was over six months ago, how can you remember two cases versus three?"

Jen glanced over her shoulder at Ronon. The big man stepped closer. She turned back towards John. "I remember…because I ordered that unit specifically to replace the one we destroyed with the oxygen tank trying to break out of the infirmary during the quarantine."

John eyed Ronon, who shrugged.

"And," Jen continued. "I also remember because Laura helped me lug the cases back to the lab." Jen raised her eyebrow towards the young Lieutenant. "And we took the _long_ way. Via the pier. With a dolly. In the rain."

Laura snickered. "Oh _those_ cases." She nodded. "Yup there were two. One each."

"Okay so someone made a mistake," John handed the papers back to Jen.

"_Twelve_ mistakes," Rodney corrected. "In the last six months we can account for a dozen single discrepancies. Not multiple orders, just an added case, and always as part of a large scale order. One or two wouldn't be an issue. A typo, a common mistake. But twelve instances that follow the exact same pattern is too _much_ of a coincidence."

"Highly improbable," Radek added.

"Each case in question was delivered by the Daedalus as part of a regular supply run, tagged to a normal delivery, but with unknown contents," Rodney continued. "Four per trip over the past six months."

"And do we have extra containers leaving again?" John asked.

"No," Radek shook his head. "That is the strange thing, Colonel. We have the correct number of cases returning on the Daedalus. The discrepancy is in the number of cases arriving at Atlantis."

"So someone's not stealing," Laura nodded her head slowly.

"Someone's delivering," Radek finished.

* * *

Richard Woolsey eyed the two men standing in his office. It didn't take a genius to realize the city was facing a bigger threat than someone trying to kill two of the staff. All one needed to do was examine the closed expressions and tense mannerisms of Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay and you could pretty much determine the proverbial ka-ka was about to hit the Ancient fan.

At least now they were moving closer to the truth of why someone would be trying to kill the CMO and the young Lieutenant.

"So we have twelve unaccounted for cases of…" he trailed off and looked to the duo for input.

"Exactly," Colonel Sheppard nodded. "Cases of. Cases of just about anything. Explosives. Technology. Hundreds of possibilities and none of them good."

"Is there any way to scan for unusual substances?" Richard turned towards Dr. McKay.

Rodney snorted. "We've already adjusted the sensors and are running a full scan of the entire city. Problem is, we're scanning blind. We don't know what to scan for so the best we can do is look for generalized anomalies."

"Generalized anomalies?" Richard repeated.

John shook his head. "We can't just search for explosives. We have explosives in the armory and C4 is standard req for teams, so anywhere we have a military presence scanners will pick up traces of explosive components. But we _can_ search for explosives in locations where we shouldn't normally have any. Unused sections of the city. The same goes for other abnormal compounds."

"Compounds," Richard repeated. "So we're not limiting this to explosives?"

Rodney snorted. "Not a chance."

"No," John shook his head. "We are not limiting this to just explosives."

Richard nodded. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful for the knowledge that they'd be scanning for all kinds of elements, or worried that there were enough elements to keep them scanning. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And how long will this take?"

"Hours," Rodney answered.

Richard's next question hung unasked when the Colonel reached for his earpiece.

"Go ahead, Hollis." John said briskly. After a quick pause he nodded. "On my way. Don't touch anything until I get there, and keep the area clear." He dropped his arm. "Problem in the storage lockers," he glanced from Rodney to Richard.

"Go." Richard nodded, recognizing the urgency in the Colonel's tone. He knew without asking this was connected to the rest of the mystery. "Keep me apprised."

* * *

John turned the corner and strode up to Major Hollis. "Major."

"Sir," Hollis nodded briskly. "Dr. McKay."

"What have we got?" John asked, glancing down the long rows of personnel lockers as they walked towards the back of the room.

"Captain McAllister was finishing the supply check as per your orders when he saw the note." Hollis answered, turning to lead them down a row of lockers to the end row which was reserved for Daedalus personnel.

It wasn't difficult to spot the locker in question. A long strip of white paper dangled from the middle of the door, half covering something silver. John stopped in front of the locker .

Duct taped to the middle of the door was a silver wristwatch, the hands set dead center at high noon. Directly above the watch a single piece of paper had been fastened with a second strip of tape, it's warning hand printed in thick block letters.

_Tick Tock._

John glanced up at the nameplate above the locker. _Lt. Cadman. Daedalus._

"Hell," he muttered.

"You know just once I'd like someone to call me with a problem that doesn't involve killer bugs, death and dismemberment, or ancient tech that eats your brain." Rodney muttered as he walked down the row of lockers to the access panel at the back of the room.

"…eats your brain?" Hollis asked quietly, glancing at John as they followed Rodney to the corner.

John shook his head dismissively.

Rodney removed the sensor plate and connected his laptop into the city system. He shifted the menu screens and pulled up a map of the city. "Okay Mister soon-to-be-dead-man, lets see what you've done…" He tapped the screen twice. "And you've done… nothing."

"Nothing?" John repeated.

"Nothing." Rodney said firmly. "The locker's clean. No explosives."

"Right," Hollis nodded. "Well all right then…"

With a snort John turned on his heel and headed back to the locker. Major Hollis was old school military, but he was also a 'Lantean regular. He'd learned, like most of the regulars, when not to pester McKay for explanations.

John snagged the end of the paper and ripped it down then grabbed the watch. Just a simple, cheap Timex. He flipped the latch on the door and opened the locker. Winter wear; extra pair of boots, heavy winter jacket, goggles, gloves. Things the Lieutenant wouldn't store in her quarters since they were used so irregularly.

And no explosives.

"Okay seriously," Rodney muttered. "You could have double checked before opening that."

"You said there was no bomb," John eyed the scientist, who was looking a little pale.

"Right." Rodney nodded. "I did, didn't I. Remind me to be more specific in my declarations in future… or at least leave the vicinity."

John looked down at the watch and note in his hand. "You know this guy is starting to piss me off."

"Just starting too?" Major Hollis snorted.

John's confirmation was cut off when his com activated.

"Colonel Sheppard this is Dr. Hunter."

"Go ahead."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Colonel… but you asked us to let you know if anything… _unusual_… came up?"

"Yes…?" he glanced at Rodney.

"Well, would you mind coming down to the infirmary? There's um… something here we think you should see…"

"On my way," John kicked the door closed with his boot. He tossed the watch and paper to Major Hollis. "Get this to Woolsey," he ordered. "McKay, you're with me."


	21. Chapter 21

John stared at the objects left on Jennifer's desk in the infirmary. Anger coiled around his abdomen. He had half a mind to pick them up and crush them but the pieces were clues…clues they needed if—

When.

When they caught up to the bastard.

"The mouse ran up the clock," Rodney read aloud as he picked up a square sheet of note paper. "I don't get it." He handed the note to Sheppard. "Why do I feel like I'm stuck in a Scooby-Doo cartoon?"

"Just keep the musical montage to yourself, Shaggy," John muttered, staring at the note. The block lettering was identical to the note on Laura's locker. He set the paper down and picked up the watch. A duplicate to Laura's only the hands on this watch pointed to one o'clock. He flipped it over in his hand. "Made in Taiwan," he read.

Rodney snorted. "At least we know it's not Wraith tech."

John turned towards Dr. Hunter. "And you're sure no one noticed anyone coming into Dr. Keller's office?"

"I didn't see anyone come into the infirmary at all," the doctor shrugged. "With gate travel off limits it's been kind of…well…you know…slow. We haven't had any injuries other than a minor sutures courtesy of a few over exuberant training sessions." He glanced around the empty infirmary. "We have no patients. Not that I'm complaining," he added quickly. "But we've had only a skeleton staff here doing inventory and catching up on paperwork. I was in the stock room most of the night."

"Okay," John nodded. _Another dead end_. "Thanks Doc."

Dr. Hunter stepped aside. John moved into the main room with Rodney directly behind them. As they headed towards the transporter he found himself contemplating a dozen different ways he wanted to dismember the psycho once they caught up with him.

"Why one?" Rodney asked, interrupting John's inner plotting.

"One…?" John briefly wondered if he'd contemplated dismembering the son-of-a-bitch out loud.

The scientist pointed to the watch John was strangling with his left hand. "The other watch was set to noon."

"Don't know." John shook his head as they stepped into the transporter. "It's no mistake though. The mouse ran down the clock at one."

"Huh?" Rodney asked, jabbing his finger at the map on the back wall of the transporter.

"Yeah, you know…Hickory Dickory Dock," John flipped the note towards the scientist.

Rodney just blinked.

"The nursery rhyme?"

Rodney shook his head. "Yeah…right…well…"

John rolled his eyes as the transporter doors opened again. "Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck _one_, the mouse ran down, hickory dickory dock," he recited.

"Well that's stupid," Rodney scowled. They stepped out into the corridor on the level nearest the labs. "It doesn't even rhyme."

"What?"

"Clock struck one, mouse ran down? One, down… They don't rhyme. You know if you're going to be teaching children with this stuff you should at least try to get it right. I mean, seriously, this is the best they could come up with? And why did he run down at one? Is it—"

"—it's a nursery rhyme," John interrupted. "It's not supposed to make sense. The point is, Cadman's watch said noon. Keller's watch says one."

"Okay…. so _something_ is going to happen at twelve or one and… we have no idea what, which time or what day…"

"Exactly."

"Well that's helpful," Rodney snorted. "So what now?"

"Now we stop playing mouse and start playing cat."

Rodney blinked. "Please tell me you're going to try setting some kind of trap?" he whined. "Aw hell you are, aren't you. I can tell by your smirk—"

"What? This smirk?" John pointed to his face.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "You know your traps never go as planned, and with Keller's luck you're likely to spring the trap on the mice instead of catching the cat!"

"Don't worry, McKay," John patted Rodney's shoulder. "I'll make sure you at least get some cheese."

***

"I don't get it." Jen looked up from the two letters she was holding. She leaned between Laura and Ronon to hand the pages back to John. The notes made no sense. Childish quotes that didn't match the horrific events they'd been subjected to.

"He's taunting us." With a disgusted scowl Laura threw the watches onto the desk.

"Or warning us," Evan suggested.

"But about what?" Jen glanced at the others. This whole situation was so far pas surreal, she wasn't sure where to begin contemplating the concept of someone doing this just to poke fun at them all. _Was there a bomb or not?_

She turned to Rodney and John. "I thought there were no traces of any explosives in the locker or the infirmary?"

"There wasn't," Rodney replied.

"So what's with the letters?" Jen asked.

"We don't believe he is restricting himself to just the infirmary or the locker bay," Radek stepped forward. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "We are scanning the entire city."

"How much longer before we have the results of the scan?" Teyla asked.

"Fourteen minutes and thirty seven seconds," the scientist turned to the monitor on the left left. He circled his index finger in the air above the top half of the city map. "We've confirmed the north and north-west piers are clean, other than trace amounts from search teams. So far the east pier is coming up clean, then we have south, west and central."

"And if everything comes up clean?" Jen hunched her shoulders. "What then?"

"Then we're back to square one," Laura muttered. She let out an exasperated sigh. "You know when we find this guy…" she left the threat hanging.

"Lorne," John ordered, "you and Ronon get Dr. Keller and the Lieutenant back upstairs. Rodney, Radek, I want to know the minute those scans are finished. Teyla, let's go see a cat about a mouse."

***

"I'm starting to get a little frustrated with this guy," Jen muttered as she followed Ronon out of the transporter.

She sighed. Perhaps frustrated was a light word, but there wasn't anything else she could think of to describe the feeling of helplessness she was facing. It was one thing to be uprooted and constantly on the move, but in your own city? Your home? It was…aggravating and annoying and a dozen other uncomfortable sounding words.

Beside her, Laura snorted. "I'll see your _frustrated_ and raise you _ready to crush him_… then chop him into pieces with a dull axe and scatter the bloody body parts into the ocean."

"Graphic," Evan voiced from behind them. "Think about it much?"

"No," Laura shook her head slowly. "Not too much."

"I should be working, not…hiding in some schmancy tower suite," she complained. She reached up and gave her right temple a quick rub. The thought of all the paperwork that was likely piling up on her desk hurt her head.

"You have no work to do," Laura reminded her friend gently. "There's no patients."

"I do more than just see patients."

"Right. Sure you d—" Laura cut off her retort when Ronon stopped and yanked his blaster out of his holster.

Before Jen could think to ask what was wrong, Evan moved her against the far wall. Both he and Laura had weapons out and directed at the hallway behind them.

"Where did you get that?" she hissed at Laura.

Laura snorted, but didn't answer.

Evan grumbled something Jen couldn't quite distinguish. Jen had a feeling Laura hadn't told the Major she'd absconded with an M9.

Ronon held his hand up, indicating the others should stay. He eased himself forward, blaster raised, and disappeared around the corner.

Jen strained to hear something—anything—to indicate what he was doing, but all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. She inched forward but was stopped by a firm hand to the shoulder.

"Stay!" Evan hissed.

When Ronon reappeared, Jen let out the breath she'd been holding.

He held up a note and another watch.

"God damn it!" Evan cursed. "How the hell did he know we were up here?"

"_See how they run_," Ronon read the note aloud.

Jen placed her hand on Ronon's wrist and turned the watch so she could see the face. The time was set to three o'clock. "Three Blind Mice," she confirmed.

"One, two, and now three," Laura glanced from Ronon to Evan. "Why do I have a feeling we don't want to get to four?"

"Because we don't," Evan confirmed. He yanked a handheld scanner out of his back pocket, took a quick look at the screen then and handed it to Jen. "Keep an eye out for any life-signs in our immediate vicinity." He glanced at Ronon. "Plan B?"

Ronon nodded and stepped past, leading them quickly down the corridor.

***

"McKay!" John strode into Rodney's lab, with Teyla at his side.

"Over here," Rodney called out from the back of the room.

"I thought we were keeping an eye on that section?" John snapped, angry at being blindsided once again. This character—whoever he was—was messing with fire now. Sneaking around and leaving happy little notes all over.

Rodney made a face. "We are…were keeping an eye on that area…until we had to break for a sudden emergency scan of Cadman's underwear."

John exhaled a string of curses.

Rodney stepped forward. "I figured we needed to know fast so I concentrated the system on that location and then…didn't get a chance to turn it back on again what with having to run to Jennifer's office for false alarm number two."

John sighed. _Figures_. He couldn't fault the scientist's logic, or timeline. They had needed to know what was in the locker, or if the infirmary had been compromised. Even if the two incidents were just for show. He shook off his disgust. "So how much time did he have?"

Rodney glanced at his tablet. "Eighteen minutes."

"That would certainly give him enough time to reach to the IOA quarters," Teyla glanced from Rodney to John.

John nodded his agreement. Plenty of time to slip in and then disappear into the general populace.

"Well, the good news is the city is clean." Rodney added hopefully. "No explosives, explosive compounds or any odd combinations."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he _isn't_ planning something else," John pointed out. There were far too many variables to even start. Viruses. Bugs. Killer plants. All of them fatal and none of them containing explosive compounds the sensors could detect.

_Shit_.

It didn't matter what the hands on the watches showed, the end message was clear.

They were out of time.

***

"You know we should just make the lab our base of operations." Laura announced when the group arrived at the lab once again.

"Oh no you don't…" McKay glowered at the redhead.

Laura grinned. No matter what the situation, you could always count on Rodney to be true to form. She couldn't resist. It added a sense of normality to the whole insanity that was Pegasus.

"All I'm saying is we seem to be here more than anywhere else." She lowered herself onto a stool and leaned comfortably back against the desk. "We should just make it official. I'll even bring the popcorn." She picked up a stack of papers and flipped through them.

"Over my dead body…" Rodney snatched the papers out of her hand.

"Promises, promises," she quipped wistfully.

"Lieutenant, please don't taunt the scientist," John sighed. "You'll only make him cranky."

Laura snorted, but at a sharp look from Evan, kept her retort to herself.

"Okay," the Colonel turned towards Rodney. "What have we got?"

Rodney made a quick motion across the screen of his tablet. "Rocks, polar bears, or flower-picking."

"I'm sorry, what?" Evan leaned forward.

"With gate travel off limits, the white-coats are getting restless," John began.

"Hey!" Rodney scowled.

Leaning forward, Jen patted Rodney on the arm. "You don't wear a white coat," she reminded him.

"We've had multiple requests for mainland excursions," John continued. "McKay's narrowed it down to the three least likely to cause Zelenka to up the betting."

"So we're leaving the city?" Laura stopped swirling around on the stool and stood. _Now we're talking…_

John nodded. "Since we seem to have issues with you two being inside the city, we're going to send you to the mainland for twenty four hours so McKay can concentrate on the missing cases and isolate our psychopath."

"Oh is that all," Rodney harrumphed.

"You said it yourself," John turned to the scientist. "This guy as been one step ahead of us the whole time. It's either that or Woolsey's going to have us to restrict the entire city to quarters while you program the sensors to track every shipping container."

"Ha!" Rodney exclaimed.

"We can do that?" Jen asked.

Rodney snorted. "No."

"Oh," Jen frowned. "Then why did Mr. Wools—"

"Because he's a bureaucrat," Rodney stated, as though the explanation were enough.

"Uh… okay," Jen blinked.

"The point is," John turned to Jen. "The cases aren't invisible. And while Woolsey's idea was a little off the ball, he wasn't entirely out of the park."

"So you _can_ track the cases?" Jen blinked. "Okay I'm confused. Can we or can't we?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Of course we can. But it's not a light switch. We can't just wave a magic wand and suddenly the entire sensor system is an x-ray machine. I have to reprogram the entire sensor array to account for the chemical compound of—"

"—what he means is yes," John interrupted. "He can. He just needs a little time. And if we have to keep scanning random notes and presents he won't be able to do it quickly."

"Right," Jen nodded.

Wanting to get back onto the topic of getting the hell out of dodge, Laura leaned forward. "All righty then, I'm in. What are our choices again?"

Rodney looked down at his tablet. "Dr. Doolittle wants to resume their oh-so-exciting study of a family of polar-bears on the southern continent."

"Dr. Doolittle?" Evan raised his eyebrows.

"Dr. _Dailey_," John corrected. "Zoologist."

"Um, polar bears?" Jen leaned around Rodney to look at the screen. She glanced up at the others. "Wouldn't that be a little… cold?"

Laura winked at Jen. "Guess you'd just have to find a way to keep warm…"

Jen flushed and shot her a warning glare. Laura had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. It never got old…

"Okay, no snow for Keller." Rodney jabbed his finger at the screen. "Ah. This should be more to your lining… Dr. Scales in biology wants to collect more samples of a root plant with antibiotic capabilities."

"No," Laura exhaled before Jen could agree. She pointed her index finger at her friend. "No more plants." A quick memory of the killer plant in her room made her shudder. Damn she hated flowers. Ever since her first trip through the gate when a rosebush tried to tear her left arm off, flowers in Pegasus were on the no-way-no-how list. "I'm _so_ not doing plants."

Jen dropped her hands to her hips. "But the healing potential is—"

"I think we've had enough killer Pegasus flowers for one lifetime, don't you think?" Laura stared hard at Jen.

"Or ferns," Evan added.

Laura glanced at Ronon, hoping for support. He shook his head, then shrugged.

"Well that was helpful," Laura scowled at him. She turned to Rodney. "What was option three?"

"Dr. Bryant's requesting permission to return to the south-west continent and pick up rocks… although I doubt that's an option either since Keller tried to blow him up."

"Hey," Jen chastised.

"Well if the other two options are killer ferns or hanging out in an ice-hut," Laura placed her palms on the desk and leaned forward. "I vote for rock collecting." When no one argued, Laura straightened and rubbed her palms together. "Great! When do we go?"

John glanced at his watch. "I'll clear the teams for later this afternoon. In the mean time…" he glanced pointedly at Ronon and Evan before addressing Jen and Laura. "Try to keep out of trouble, will ya'?"

***

_Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie,  
Kissed the girls and made them cry.  
When the boys came out to play,  
Georgy Porgy ran away._

_He caught a glimpse of the approval orders and laughed to himself, amused by how easily he'd managed to sway the high and mighty Colonel to send the women out of the city where they'd be out of sight. _

_So predictable. _

_But the Daedalus was on her way back and despite how much fun this was—besting the great Colonel Sheppard—it was time to leave this galaxy behind and retire to Earth. He only wished he could see the look on their faces when they finally figured it all out._

_But by then he'd be on the other side of the universe, sipping cocktails on the terrace of his new chateau. _

_Life was good._


	22. Chapter 22

_**Author's note: When we last left our intrepid heroes, the girls were about to be shuffled off world for safe keeping while Rodney and Shep scanned the city for the missing cases.**_

* * *

The jumper bay was a wash of activity as three groups prepped for departure. Standing to the side of Jumper four, Jen watched as Dr. Bryant instructed his team on where to put the tools and sample kits they were loading into the already packed cargo space.

Dr. Davidson, the second geologist who would be accompanying them, was standing just inside the rear doors, cross-referencing inventory. As Dr. Bryant quickly rattled off various components being loaded, Dr. Davison hurried to find them on his lists. The poor man spent more time trying to keep his glasses on his hawk-like nose, than he did making checkmarks on his clipboard.

"You'd think that with the payroll being dolled out by the IOA he could afford corrective surgery," Laura snickered.

"Not everyone is a viable candidate for that kind of eye surgery," Jen whispered back, feeling slightly sorry for the tall, reedy scientist. He really could use contact lenses…

Laura glanced at her watch and then looked back at the two scientists. "God…. How much stuff do you need to pick up rocks?" she muttered.

"Apparently… a lot," Jen replied.

"At this rate there isn't going to be any room for us," Laura eyed the steadily growing pile of survey equipment, computers, and sample containment units.

"Shush," Jen chastised, smiling apologetically at Dr. Bryant when the scientist frowned at Laura.

"They do know they have to leave room for two more, right?" Laura continued, ignoring Jen's attempt at quelling the discussion.

"I'm sure it will be fine…" Jen trailed off, shifting her attention to where the 'two more' stood.

Several feet off the end of the back tailgate, Ronon and Evan carried on a quiet conversation with Teyla. Jen knew she'd be feeling much more trepidation about leaving the city—even somewhere as close as the mainland—if not for her self appointed bodyguard.

Ronon glanced over. Caught staring, Jen felt her face burning as she hurried to look at something, anything other than Ronon.

"Subtle," Laura snorted.

"Shut it," Jen hissed, pretending to be interested in Rodney and John, who were inspecting each of the containers being loaded onto the jumper.

"They'd better not change their mind," Laura muttered. "I swear if I don't get off this floating metal placemat it will be _me_ on the pier with a sniper rifle… and _I_ won't miss…"

Dr. Davidson lowered his clipboard and turned to Dr. Bryant. "I believe that is the last of the required containers," he announced in a nasally monotone.

"Ah," Dr. Bryant nodded. "Good."

Dr. Davidson reseated his glasses and waved to Colonel Sheppard. "We are ready, Colonel."

John waved his acknowledgement to the scientist. He turned and stepped towards Ronon, Evan and Teyla. Jen's heart hiccupped as she grabbed her rucksack followed Laura to join the small group.

"All right, you've got twenty four hours," John said quietly. "The forecast is clear so you shouldn't have to deal with any inclement weather. As soon as you're clear of the city we'll restrict personnel to quarters and start the scans." He glanced at Evan. "I want regular two hour check-ins."

Evan nodded. "Understood."

John glanced at the group then stepped back. "Let's get this show on the road."

Evan moved up the ramp into the jumper and headed towards the forward compartment where Dr. Bryant and Dr. Davidson were already seated. He dropped into the pilot's seat. Laura joined him, taking the co-pilots chair.

Jen settled herself into one of the few empty seats in the back while Ronon closed the rear hatch. He steadied himself against the cargo nets as Evan lifted the jumper up through the roof access.

Sunlight flooded through the front screen, changing the ambient light from dull grey to a bright warm yellow. Jen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. No turning back now…

She glanced up at Ronon, who was watching her carefully. She raised her eyebrows in silent question.

He shrugged and shook his head.

Jen pursed her lips, fighting a smile. He was anxious to get outside—that much was evident. "It's only twenty four hours," she reminded him.

"It's enough," he replied.

"For you maybe," she frowned, glancing around at the cases of equipment. "Camping is _so_ not my forte."

"It's only twenty four hours."

"Again..._camping_." She accented the words with finger quotes. "'nuff said."

"There's a story in there somewhere," he prompted.

"Oh yeah," Jen nodded. "Told only under influence of too much tequila."

"That can be arranged," he smirked, dropping into the seat beside her.

Jen fought a smile. "Yeah, I bet. And I'm sure you'd have plenty of help," she laughed, thinking immediately of Laura. She glanced up towards the front of the jumper and the foursome seated in the forward compartment. Her smile faltered.

"Hey," Ronon nudged her with his shoulder.

She turned back.

"You'll be fine," he said firmly.

Jen pursed her lips. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I just feel like…like I'm running away."

"You are," he agreed. "And by doing so you're giving them a chance to find the cases."

"Well yes, but still…it just feels…cowardly."

"Strategic."

"Strategic?" she scoffed.

"Sheppard can run a sweep without having to dedicate resources to keeping you—"

"—out of trouble?" she interrupted.

"I was going for _safe_."

Jen sighed. He had a point. If she was away from the city the Colonel wouldn't have to be assigning people to watch her. But by leaving she was also taking Ronon and Evan away. "But you're—"

"Where I want to be."

"Oh." Jen blinked, blushed, and looked away. _Okay then_.

"Besides," he smirked, "it's only twenty-four hours."

"You know you just jixed us," she grinned.

"That's okay," he shrugged. "Just means I finally get to shoot something."

* * *

The sun dropped behind the snow capped mountains to the west taking its warmth and light away. Jen grabbed her jacket in an attempt to ward off the goosebumps breaking across her bare arms.

She glanced around their campsite, surprised at how quickly the ambient light was fading. The land surrounding them was mountainous, heavy with trees and tempered by an uneven, rocky ground. Shadows stretched long and deep, turning the surrounding scrub trees into wriggling black specters. She'd been quite happy with the shade they'd provided earlier, but now the leafy pines were pointing their boney fingers at her.

She knew Dr. Bryant had requested this area because of some _spectacular specimens_ he referred to every chance he got -- specimens which were located in nearby caves. Jen had avoided potential cave exploration at Evan and Ronon's rather pointed insistence. Not that she minded. Caves made her think of bears…and Pegasus made her think of giant bears with massive fangs and claws that could slice through a tree.

So being restricted to the campsite was fine with her.

So Laura had been elected to 'go spelunking' as she referred to it, with Dr. Bryant and Major Lorne instead.

For most of the day Jen had thoroughly enjoyed the location – and the weather. Even the tedious hours spent with Dr. Davidson sorting rocks dissolved quickly beneath the warmth of the sun on her shoulders.

Even her Satedan bodyguard seemed to loosen up a little...well…as best as she could tell since he spent most of the time patrolling an invisible perimeter around their campsite.

She'd gone with him once to reassure herself it was just dirt, rocks and pines, but now she couldn't stop thinking about monsters in the shadows and poisonous tree sap.

She sighed. Why couldn't they have found a spot someplace less spooky? Like a KOA. With lights. And flush toilets.

Scowling at the shadows Jen mentally reminded herself not to drink any more liquids. Or maybe she should just give up the tenting idea and ask to sleep in the jumper. Sealed in the cockpit. With all the lights on.

Something touched her shoulder and she shrieked, jerking and nearly falling off the log she was perched on.

Laura laughed and stepped over the fallen tree. "Paranoid much?" the redhead giggled, settling onto the log next to Jen.

"Witch," Jen hissed.

"Yeah, yeah…you love me," Laura grinned, holding out a flashlight.

Jen snatched at the torch, clutching the cold black barrel tightly between her fingers.

Evan and Dr. Bryant exited the trees and walked forward. Dr. Bryant made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a sigh as he passed, hurrying across the clearing towards Dr. Davidson.

"So, how did it go?" Jen asked, eying the large crate the scientist carried.

"Uneventful," Evan shrugged as he passed. He glanced at his watch then headed for the jumper. "No one died."

"Unfortunately," Laura scowled at Jen. "Tell you what. Next time _you_ go play gravel monkey and I'll work on my tan."

"Gravel monkey?" Jen echoed.

"She's just mad she didn't get to blow anything up," Evan called out as he disappeared into the back of the jumper.

"Blow up…" Jen shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"I was bored," Laura shrugged. "I spent the day in a cave."

"I'm not even going to ask…"

Without warning Laura gasped and grabbed Jen's arm. "Ohmygod!" the redhead hissed as a hulking shape materialized out of the shadows to Jen's left.

Shocked by Laura's reaction, Jen squealed and toppled backwards off the log, landing unceremoniously at Ronon's feet.

Accompanied by Laura's laughter, Ronon helped Jen to her feet. "I can shoot her?," he offered, handing Jen back the flashlight.

"Tempting," Jen glared at the redhead who was still giggling.

"Oh come on," Laura protested.

"Cadman," Evan scolded as he exited the jumper. "Please stop scaring the Doc. We've got a long way to go until morning."

"Yes, Sir," Laura answered, winking at Jen.

"Anything yet?" Ronon asked the Major.

Evan shook his head. "McKay's about halfway through the scan. I lost him somewhere around _acceleration rates_ and _symmetrical relationships_. They'll be doing the east then north piers next. They'll get in touch if anything changes." Evan glanced at Jen. "So yes, we're here all night."

"Great," Jen muttered.

"Oh come on," Laura bumped shoulders with the young doctor. "It'll be fun! We'll make smores and stay up all night telling ghost stories."

"I swear if you start singing campfire songs I'll swim back to the city," Jen stared pointedly at Laura.

"You and me both," Ronon muttered.

"No need to swim," Evan pointed at the jumper. "We can fly. Far, far away. And really quickly, too."

"Smart ass," Laura scowled at him.

"Just sayin," Evan grinned.

* * *

John walked into Rodney's lab balancing a large mug of fresh coffee and a tray of pilfered pastries from the cafeteria. Being at the top of the feeding chain had its benefits some days.

"Okay look," Rodney grumbled and turned towards the new arrival, "what part about…oh-thank-god-coffee…" he stepped forward and snagged the mug. He narrowed his eyes at the desserts, his hand hovering in the air above the tray. "There isn't any lemon in these, is there?"

John rolled his eyes, "Yes Rodney, because on top of everything else that's going on, I need you to be admitted to the infirmary. No, there's no lemon."

"Okay, okay," Rodney snatched a creampuff. "I'm just being cautious. With Keller gone who knows what kind of medical misfit I'd be left with."

John angled his chin towards the computer monitor on the wall. "And?" he prompted.

"Mmmrrffm," Rodney tried, his mouth full of pastry.

John raised an eyebrow.

Rodney waggled his head and chewed hurriedly. Washing the last bit down with a swig of coffee, he stepped forward. "Nothing on the east pier—not even an out of place dust bunny. We're just staring the north pier now." He pointed to a spot on the tip of the pier. "Major Buchannan's team is here with Zeleka, and Major Teldy's team is on standby in the Jumper bay."

"So this is the last part of the city to be scanned?"

"That's it," Rodney stepped towards his computer. Punching several keys with his index finger he glanced at the monitor as a small red line appeared across the top of the display.

Staring at the map of the city, John shook his head slowly. "It's always in the last place you look."

"Yes, okay, and _that_ statement makes complete sense," Rodney rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying that they have to be here," John defended.

"Yes… that's assuming Zelenka's calibrated the scanners to find the right combination of whatever-it-is." Rodney turned towards the Colonel and crossed his arms across his chest. "Do you have any idea of the possible contaminants, pathogens, viruses, compounds, organics et cetera we could be dealing with here? Because I can calculate that based on the known elements, plus Ancient and alien tech we're looking at well over two point—"

"—a lot." John finished. "I get it." He clamped Rodney on the shoulder. "I know Rodney. I'm sure you'll do your best."

"My best?" Rodney gaped. "Since when do I _not_ do my best? Wait, what have you heard?"

"Nothing, McKay." John turned and headed towards the door. "I'll be waiting with Teldy's team. I have a feeling this is about to get really dicey."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's Pegasus," John called out over his shoulder. "And that's enough."

* * *

_Time was up. _

_He wasn't going to be able to prevent the scan from happening, and if Dr. McKay was as good as he touted himself to be, it was only a matter of time before his hiding spot was discovered._

_He'd underestimated their drive to find the cases. True. _

_But he wasn't out. Oh no. No, no, no. _

_He hadn't gotten this far without having to adjust his plans on the run. He was smart. Cunning. And he always had a backup plan for his backup plan. _

_Including the perfect escape._

_All he had to do was take out the witnesses, clean up the loose ends and orchestrate an irrefutable alibi. _

_All in a day's work._

_Starting now._

* * *

In the dim light of the half moon high above, Jen half walked, half tip-toed across the dewy ground. She held her breath, listening to the sounds of the night around her. Bugs and creepy-crawlies that were certainly hanging off tree branches just waiting to drop down onto her head and leave a nest of larvae in her hair.

As she moved into the long shadows along the back side of the tent she cursed under her breath. She hated camping, hated the outdoors at night, and hated having a small bladder.

Clutching the flashlight like a weapon, she stepped around a large tree trunk. The light was off—the fear of drawing Pegasus moths outweighing the need to see. She glanced back at the still-visible campfire. There was no way she was going any further than here. Privacy be damned. She had to go, but she wasn't that stupid.

She squatted and hurried to finish her business.

As soon as she finished she stood and hurried back towards the campsite.

She was almost at the clearing when an unmistakable sound froze her to the spot.

A Wraith stunner.

And it was firing repeatedly.


	23. Chapter 23

With a gasp of fright Jen dropped to the ground, her breath freezing in her throat. She slapped her hand over her mouth, biting back a scream. There couldn't be Wraith here – the sensors in the city would have triggered an alert! They would have had warning!

The sounds of the stunner stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The ensuing silence howled in her ears. Even the nightlife held its breath.

"What have you done?" Dr. Davidson's nasally tone sliced through the air.

She lifted her head, stunned to hear a normal voice.

"Well he wouldn't stay down," Dr. Bryant countered.

"But you said—"

"I know what I said," Dr. Bryant snapped. "But apparently one blast wasn't enough."

Nervous laughter bubbled up in Jen's throat making her gag. There weren't any Wraith.

The attackers were simply humans with stunners. And since she didn't hear the sound of a counter-attack she knew without doubt just _who_ they'd stunned.

Bastards.

She clamped her teeth shut to keep from making any noise and bit sharply down on her tongue. The warm taste of copper filled her mouth.

After a few moments she could hear a rough scratching sound. She chanced a second look and lifted her head, straining to see through the shadows and darkness. She couldn't see either man, but from the sounds of things, Dr. Davidson was not a willing participant in whatever Dr. Bryant was doing.

"Help me move him."

"I will not!"

"I said…help me move him."

"Okay, okay. Just…watch where you point that thing."

The two scientists struggled to drag an unconscious Ronon across the clearing. They dropped him unceremoniously in the corner and disappeared from her line of sight. A moment later they moved Evan's unconscious form next to Ronon.

Laura would be next.

Jen pressed her cheek to the ground when they approached her tent. She held her breath. This was not going to go well.

"She isn't here!" Dr. Bryant exclaimed around a long string of curses.

"Who?" Dr. Davidson replied. "Dr. Keller? She's not here."

"I can see that! Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know, I thought you had her?"

"No you idiot, why would I have her? This is her tent! You were supposed to do them both! Both! Not just this one!"

"But the Lieutenant was the only one here."

The two men crunched through the underbrush along the edge of the clearing, their footsteps deafening. Jen begged her heart to be quiet. She was sure they would hear its painful drumming against her ribcage.

"She can't have gone far," Dr. Bryant sighed. "Let's get these three to the cave then we'll concentrate on finding her."

"But what if she comes back while we're gone?" Dr. Davidson asked.

"Doesn't matter. I've disabled the radio. It's useless without the control crystal. Now get over here and give me a hand. I want this one tied up before he wakes up."

Their voices moved away. "We only have two hours before they're expected to check in," Dr. Bryant continued. "We need all the pieces in place before the rescue teams show up… including Dr. Keller."

"This will never work."

"It _will_ work. Just play your part and do what I tell you. By the time we're done we'll be welcomed back with open arms and no one will be the wiser. Now grab his legs."

Jen waited for what felt like an eternity before she finally felt brave enough to lift her head. Cricketing and night birds resumed their chatter. A thousand questions bounced through her mind, and each one ended with the same stunning conclusion.

Dr. Bryant was the one who was trying to kill her.

It was the _why_ that remained elusive.

She rose slowly to her feet. Inching around the side of the tent she moved into the clearing, gripping the flashlight so tightly her fingers burned. She hesitated only a second before rushing across the opening to Evan and Laura.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips to note they really were only stunned.

But that didn't mean they were out of harms way. Not by a long shot.

In this state they were too vulnerable.

Jen glanced quickly around the campsite. The cave wasn't that far away, and even dragging Ronon's dead weight it wouldn't be long before they returned for the other two. She had to do something…anything…but what?

She ran to the jumper, her stomach lurching to find the radio was indeed dead. Her mind raced, trying to think of what she should do. Hiding was definitely at the top of the list. And so was running. But she couldn't just leave Evan and Laura exposed.

Once the scientists returned she could try to get to Ronon – the stunners always wore off quickly with him. But Evan and Laura were going to be out for a while, leaving them completely defenseless.

There was no way Jen could safely hide them…

Unless…

She stared at the lumped shadows of her two friends, letting the pieces click together. Jumpers required the ATA gene – which she didn't have. But neither did either of the two scientists. Both Laura and Evan had it, which logistically meant only they could activate the small ship.

Right?

_God, I hope so._

She ran down the ramp and crossed the clearing. Hooking her hands under Laura's armpits she dragged her friend across the clearing and into the back of the jumper. It took a longer to pull Evan across. Damn the man was solid. Her muscles trembled and burned but she managed to get the Major up the ramp and into the cargo area next to Laura. She dropped to her knees and quickly searched Evan's pockets for the remote to trigger the jumper's shields. Finding it in the front of his Tac-vest she pocketed the small unit and moved to the base of the jumper's rear ramp.

She _should_ just lock herself inside and wait for rescue.

But they still had Ronon, and rescue was over two hours away.

Too much could happen in two hours.

She knew Dr. Bryant and Dr. Davidson had stunners, but she didn't know if he had any real weapons. They'd been searching cases for illegal items – not firepower – and the jumpers had spares of just about everything. Short of a full fledged search, she'd have no way of knowing what was missing—if anything.

Her peripherals caught sight of a dull pink glow on the ground to the right of the jumper. Stepping closer, she instantly recognized the very distinguishable shape of Ronon's blaster. Taking it as a sign from whatever guardian angel was on duty tonight she scooped it up and ran to her tent.

Not caring about the mess she was leaving she dumped the contents of her backpack onto the ground. Her fingers trembled as she stuffed only essential medical supplies and food items back into the bag and topped the load with Ronon's blaster.

Grabbing Laura's rucksack, she ran with both bags back to the jumper. Laura would never go anywhere without something that could leave a 'bang' and there was no way Jen was leaving whatever it was to the likes of Dr. Bryant. She dropped Laura's bag to the floor. Hooking her arms through her own knapsack she seated it firmly against her shoulders and turned towards the opening, fighting the worry and fear fireworking behind her skull.

_Don't be stupid. Stay and be safe._

A branch snapped.

Time was up.

Jen jumped out the back, slamming her hand on the rear hatch control as she passed. The hatch lifted. Triggering the cloak with the fob in her pocket, she hesitated only long enough to make sure it worked before running full speed across the clearing and into the forest.

* * *

As quietly as possible, Jen pushed through a cluster of prickly bushes. The brambles caught and pulled against her clothing as she forced her way past. She'd tried her best to keep in a large circle around the campsite, praying she could avoid the two doctors and still figure a way to find the damn cave. So far all she'd found were trees, ankle-turning rocks, and leafy bushes with huge thorns.

She kept her eyes moving, searching for any sign of the two doctors. Fortunately, Dr. Bryant and Dr. Davidson were using flashlights, so the beacon was an amazing early warning for their approach. So far she'd managed to stay ahead of them, but through fate or dumb luck they'd managed to keep her moving in a wider and wider arc around the campsite. Jen only hoped she was making a big enough loop that she'd eventually find the cave where they took Ronon.

She slipped the knapsack off and made quick work of a power-bar and half her water while she contemplated her options. She checked her watch. She'd been sneaking around the wilds of the mainland for close to thirty minutes, which, if she'd tried to weigh against a clock really felt like she'd been wandering around for hours.

She glanced up at the night sky, the blackness already giving way to a lighter tone.

It would be dawn soon.

More light meant she could move faster, but it also meant her pursuers would be able to see her more clearly. Night had been her friend this time—providing her with the darkness she needed to stay ahead of them. Lost in the shadows. But now…

She squinted at a flicker of brightness against the trees off to her left.

Flashlights.

With a hurried breath she rose slowly to her feet. She paused and took a deep breath, forcing herself to move cautiously so as not to rustle the picker bush. Once free of the thorns she picked up her pace, angling towards the looming rise of a rock wall now visible in the dying darkness.

_Please let it be here…_

* * *

John jogged across the floor of the gate room, a feeling of worry balling itself in the bottom of his stomach. Rodney's shadowing silence behind him told John the scientist was coming to the same conclusion.

They took the stairs two at a time.

"Colonel. Doctor." Richard Woolsey greeted them as they approached. "Thank you for coming, I—"

"You do realize I had to stop the scan," Rodney interrupted. "I have people waiting."

"Yes," Richard addressed the scientist. He turned towards Chuck and nodded his head. "I'm aware of that. However you were both requested and I'm told the matter is urgent."

"Told?" John threaded his arms across his chest. "Told by whom?"

"By me," a firm voice barked. The monitor behind Richard flickered to life revealing a none-too-pleased looking Colonel Caldwell.

"Colonel," John acknowledged, his mind instantly jumping into overdrive. "You're early."

"We're not there yet, Sheppard," the Colonel snapped. "We've dropped out of hyperspace to relay an urgent transmission from the SGC."

"How urgent?" Rodney stepped forward. "Because we're dealing with a situation here—"

"I'm well aware of your situation, Dr. McKay," the Colonel barked out.

Rodney harrumphed. "Yes well then you know—"

"Enough, McKay," John interrupted Rodney's tirade.

Caldwell glanced down at the computer to his side. "Human remains were discovered in the spring thaw two miles south of Cheyenne Mountain perimeter fence. Single gunshot wound to the head, execution style. They estimate the body's been there for six months."

"And this is important, because…?" Rodney asked.

"Because DNA has identified the body as one of yours."

"One of ours?" Richard leaned forward. "I can assure you Colonel; all our personnel are accounted for."

"Apparently not, Mr. Woolsey," Caldwell scowled. "Or we wouldn't be having this conversation. Until this matter is sorted out the SGC is going on the assumption that you have an imposter in the city."

"Who?" John asked.

Caldwell rattled off a name.

John blinked. Cursed, and spun on his heel, leaving the control room at a dead run.

_God damn Pegasus galaxy._


	24. Chapter 24

Laura blinked up at the dark shining metal of the interior of the jumper. Her mind bounded from the question of _why_ she'd be sleeping in a jumper to why she'd be sleeping on the cold metal _floor_ of the jumper. She could feel the cold air teasing across the tops of her bare feet, and her arms burned from the icy temperature of the floor pressing against them. She wasn't wearing boots or her jacket. She'd gone to bed… hadn't she?

So _why_ was she in the jumper?

She sat up, managing to reach a half seated position before her brain received a message from her body that things weren't fully functional. The jumper walls replaced the ceiling as she toppled over onto her side.

"Easy Red," Evan's voice sliced through the swirling. He lifted her back into an upright position and turned her to lean against the row of seats. "You can't just leap into action after one of those."

"One of what?" she grimaced, using both hands to push her hair away from her face.

She stared at him, digesting the images. Full gear. Tac-vest. Weapons. But it was his eyes that kicked her heart in with an extra beat. Instead of their usual warmth they shone with the icy blue tint of full mode Major.

"Ev?"

"Stunner," he answered.

The single word triggered a flash of panic. Laura shoved it down and buried it deep. Adrenaline made her try to stand but legs weren't agreeing with the order. She grabbed Evan's upper arms and pulled herself up. "Here? How? Does the city know? We have to—"

"It's okay," Evan gripped her shoulders to stabilize her when she wobbled, "there's no Wraith."

"But you said—"

"I said stunner. Not Wraith."

Laura digested the statement, pushing it around her mind. If it wasn't Wraith…then…

"And no it wasn't Ronon." Evan finished her thought. He guided her to the front of the jumper. "Although I'm pretty sure _shooting_ is at the top of his to-do list right now."

Laura took a long deep breath, willing the cobwebs to blow away. She lowered herself into the co-pilots seat, noting the control crystals scattered across the console. She glanced at Evan. "What are you doing?"

Evan scowled. "Someone felt the need to disable the radio." He waved his hand over the console. "Unfortunately they also took flight control with it."

"But who…why? I…" she took a deep breath then exhaled sharply. "Okay how long before my brain returns to higher-level function?"

He turned towards her. Laura was relieved to see his expression soften. Not that she minded the killer version, she just wasn't sure she was ready for the reason why he was fully armed.

He smiled slightly. "The effects vary from person to person, but they seem to take longer to fade when you're not accustomed to regular doses."

"Regular doses," she scowled and rubbed her temple.

"You'll be fine in a few minutes. It just takes longer to come out of it when you have no tolerance levels."

"Right," she snorted. "Like you do?"

"Hang around Ronon long enough…" He made a face then shook his head, closing himself off once again. He grabbed the crystals and lowered himself to the floor. "I'd just signed off when I heard two stunner blasts. I made it to the ramp in time to see Ronon go down. I didn't see which one of our esteemed colleagues was the trigger man because the next thing I know I'm waking up on the floor with you." Sliding under the console he slotted the crystals into one of the open trays. "Try the radio?"

Laura mentally commanded the jumper radio to connect. "Atlantis base this is Jumper three, come in." She held for a three count then tried again. "Atlantis this is Lieutenant Cadman, please respond." When no response came she reached across the console and tried triggering the radio manually. "Atlantis this is Lieutenant Cadman, do you copy?"

Evan cursed and shoved himself up off the floor. "I've tried multiple configurations. I have no idea what order those damn things are supposed to go in."

"So what now?"

"Now? Now we figure out what the hell is going on, where the hell everyone went, and who the hell shot me."

"That's a lot of hell…"

He sighed. "Well the way I see it—and thank you Pegasus—we've shit out a horseshoe and managed to sequester ourselves with the person who's been trying to kill you."

Laura blinked. "Hell."

"Exactly. And so far as I can tell, you and I are the only two in the immediate vicinity."

"Wait. What? Why?" She stood abruptly. "So which one of the…No. You know what? I don't care which one or both. I've had it with this whole situation. I'm going to kick his ass…their ass…asses…" she turned and stomped towards the back of the jumper.

Evan grabbed her arm and turned her back around. "Not so fast."

"But Jen…they're...we don't know what's going on and Jen is—"

"Jen is potentially one of _two_ other life signs," he said slowly.

"Two?"

Over his shoulder the HUD flickered to life. He turned to face the four life signs mocking them. A tandem pair at their location, and two others a few kilometres away.

"Four," Laura stared at the display. Four life-signs where they should be six.

Evan took a deep breath. "Four."

Laura turned slowly towards him. "Ev…"

"I know."

"Those are the caves, right?" she eyed the section of the map between the two pairs of dots.

"We were here today," Evan pointed to a spot slightly south of where she was looking. "But this ridge line is shallow. They shouldn't be affecting the sensors."

"Maybe the others are deeper inside somewhere?" she asked hopefully, willing two more dots to appear on the HUD. "Maybe another jumper?"

"We're way too early for check-in. We won't be missed for a while yet. They'd have no reason to send anyone yet." He shook his head. "What I can't figure out is why. We cleared both Bryant and Davidson. Their records are clean. Nothing out of the ordinary. And both of them had solid alibis."

Laura stared at the display, replaying the past few weeks. The two Doctors wouldn't have been removed from the watch list unless they'd been sure the two men weren't involved in the attacks. But somehow they'd missed something. They'd all missed something.

None of this made any sense what so ever.

If Bryant or Davidson was behind this, then there should be five bodies. If they were in it together, then four bodies. Why keep her alive if they'd just spent the last three weeks trying to kill her?

Two in a jumper and two elsewhere.

If Ronon and Jen were okay, they'd be in the jumper, too. Wouldn't they? And if the two life-signs were Ronon and Jen why weren't they here? Unless it was one and not the other.

She glanced at Evan. "Why are _we_ in the jumper?"

"Best I can figure is Bryant or Davidson, whichever one _isn't_ trying to kill you, dragged us in here after finding Ronon and the Doc. At least that's the only thing that makes sense."

"But Jen and Ronon? Why not them too? And why disable everything if they were just going to lock us in here? Wait…" she pushed past him towards the ramp. "We _can_ get out, right?" Interpreting her mental command, the tailgate dropped.

Evan stepped up beside her. "Answers that question."

"Can I say 'phew'?" she called over her shoulder before jogging towards her tent. She ducked inside, stepping a moment later with her boots and jacket in hand.

She stopped mid stride stared at the back of the jumper. "It's cloaked."

"What?" Evan hopped off the ramp and turned to look at the cloaked shielding. He sighed. "Okay this is making less and less sense."

She shook her head, flinging the questions aside. Answers later. Concentrate on finding the others first.

Within a few moments Laura was ready to go. She adjusted the straps on her Tac-vest then grabbed her P90.

Evan walked towards her, pocketing the portable scanner from the front of the jumper.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"After you."

"Age before beauty," Laura snorted, shoving him towards the ramp.

"And here I thought it was 'ladies first'?"

"Yeah but that way I can't gawk at your ass," she commented, closing the tailgate. She glanced over her shoulder as the interior disappeared into the now completed cloak. She took a deep breath and turned towards Evan. "Ev if—"

"Don't."

"But—"

"No. Now quit harping and get moving or there's no way you're going to get the first shot."

"I don't harp," she pouted as they set a brisk pace across the clearing.

"Yeah you just keep on telling yourself that."

"If I harped, you'd know it."

He angled his head towards her. "Harpy."

"Oh you'll pay for that later."

"Promises, promises."

* * *

"Shit!" Jen hissed, stumbling over another rock. Pain shot across the top of her foot. She staggered to a stop and clamped her hand over her mouth, muttering curses into her palm.

_Damn caves and their damn lack of light!_

She leaned against the cold rocky wall. This was the third cave she'd been through and still no sign of Ronon.

Jen knew she'd started at the beginning. What she didn't know was how many more caves she had yet to discover. In her circle away from the two doctors she'd crossed near the canyon at the edge of the ridge line. From there the land rose into the cave pocketed escarpment she was currently exploring.

One dark, damp cavern at a time.

With a sigh she continued feeling her way through the darkness towards the wide mouth of the cave's entrance. Things might have been easier if she hadn't been so worried about using the flashlight too close to the entrance. She'd seen how much of a beacon the light had been when the two doctors were following her through the forest, she wasn't about to make the same mistake.

The closer she moved through the twists and turns of the narrow passageway, the easier it became to navigate. The grey light of dawn inched past the corners. Silvery crystals peppered the walls adding a mirror-ball sparkle. Any other time she'd be admiring the beauty. Now all she could think of was if the added glow was going to give her away.

Reaching the entrance she paused, listening. Morning birds were happily chirruping as they fluttered through the pines. Happy birds should mean no unwanted visitors, right?

God she hoped so.

She stepped out of the shadows and into the dull grey light of morning. The sun would be up soon, and she was going to stand out like a beacon. She moved as quickly as she dared, trying to avoid making any excessive noise. The scrub trees along the base of the escarpment were providing some shelter from potential prying eyes, but not nearly enough.

A large opening yawned to her right, announcing the start of yet another cave. Hugging the cold, rocky side, she eased her way into the shadows.

Unlike the previous few, this cavern was huge, with a massive arched ceiling. Dark openings along the jagged walls announced several potential crevasses and tunnels into sub-chambers. She held her breath to listen for any signs of life, but couldn't distinguish anything other than the chirping birds in the brush behind her.

Glancing at her watch she debated going back to the jumper. Evan and Laura would be awake by now. Although if they were, they would have used the jumper to come find her… wouldn't they?

_Damn it!_

She should have taken one of the radios! Then she could have called the jumper and have Evan come get her!

Dread washed over her. She sagged against the cold, rocky wall. What kind of idiot wandered off without a radio? Well obviously her kind of idiot. She'd been so concerned with keeping her supplies she hadn't even considered communication.

_You're such a dumb-ass. _

Jen stared up at the craggy ceiling of the cavern, lamenting her stupidity. After a few minutes she straightened away from the wall. She had two choices, and neither one seemed like a good idea.

She took a step forward, gripping the barrel of the flashlight. She chanced a parting glance over her shoulder at the stunted trees at her back. She turned her ankle and stumbled. Taking a deep breath she resolved to concentrate on what was in front…not behind.

Jen moved further into the shadows, fighting the flight response at the arched crevasse appearing on her right. Knowing she was going to have to follow it if she was going to have any hope of finding Ronon, she inched her way closer, slowing to a snails pace and finally stopping beneath the dark opening.

She looked towards the wide cave mouth and the bright light of day then looked back at the crevasse.

Two choices: forward or back.

Her heart added an extra beat.

_Oh hell._

She clicked the flashlight on, aimed the beam towards the crevasse and followed the light under the rocky archway.

She'd made it several steps into the tunnel when one of the shadows moved.

Jen squealed and jumped back, cracking her elbow against the jagged wall. Pain spiked down into her hand making her drop the flashlight. It hit the rocky ground with a sharp crack and went out.

Something brushed against her shoulder.

She screamed.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Author's Note: YES I'M BACK! My apologies for such a long delay, but I'm here with the rest of the chapters so you're getting them all at once! :) When we last left the Scoobies, the crazy Doctor's realized Ronon wasn't where they left him, Evan and Jen came too in the back of the Jumper, and Jen set out to stage her own rescue attempt. And now... away we go:**_

* * *

"What do you mean he's gone?" Dr. Bryant exclaimed, shoving Dr. Davidson aside.

"I mean he's gone…gone…" Davidson muttered.

Bryant pointed his flashlight at the ground. He squatted, reaching for several chunks of heavy rope strewn across the rocky cavern floor.

"Told you we should have used more rope," Dr. Davidson shrugged.

Dr. Bryant straightened, throwing the rope to the ground in disgust. He aimed the light around the deep recess, searching the shadows. It was futile. The man was obviously gone. But he hadn't passed through the front of the cave, so the only option left was one of the several tunnels that squirreled deeper beneath the escarpment. He'd explored the caverns quite thoroughly with Davidson over the past couple of months – the tunnels squirreled in several directions, but never exited. The Satedan was quite thoroughly trapped.

Bryant smirked. _Not so smart are you now, tough guy!_

He turned on his heel and hurried back towards the sliver of light that announced the narrow opening into the cavern. He squeezed through the crevice and out into the morning light.

Dr. Davidson wormed his way out and moved to stand beside him. Bryant briefly entertained the idea of shoving the idiot back into the hole, but knowledge he needed the other man to complete the plan kept him in check. He grabbed Davidson's arm and aimed the man towards the tree-line.

"Get over there, and get down," he ordered.

"Why? Wait. What are you doing?" Dr. Davidson questioned, his eyes locked on the small black object in Dr. Bryant's hand.

Bryant glanced down at the detonator and smiled. "Just doing a little house cleaning," he answered, shoving Davidson forward. "Now unless you want to be buried beneath the escarpment, I suggest you move."

* * *

"Easy, Doc…"

Jen's struggles against her attacker slowed to a stop as the whispered words registered.

_Ronon_.

Relief surged through her limbs and she sagged forward against his chest. Ronon removed his hand from her mouth, but his other arm remained tightly locked around her waist. Jen was pretty sure it was the only thing keeping her rubbery knees from depositing her onto the rocky ground.

She licked her lips, took a deep breath then straightened. _Damn sneaky bastard._ "You scared the life out of me!" she hissed, whacking him across the chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," he countered, releasing her. "Where are the others?"

"Dr. Bryant and Dr. Davidson stunned them. I locked them in the jumper. I figured they'd be safer that way."

"Safer? Wait…why aren't you with them?"

Jen gnawed on the inside of her cheek. Somehow the rescue plan seemed a lot less of a good idea if she had to say it out loud.

Ronon sighed. "You should have stayed with them."

"I was trying to make sure you were okay." Jen glared at him through the darkness but couldn't see much past the hulking shadow he created.

"I can take care of myself."

"Yeah and I knew that how? I mean they stunned you guys then dragged you off into the woods doing god knows what…" she trailed off, letting the host of horrible things she'd considered since she'd left the camp die off into the silence of the cavern.

"You don't think I can take care of myself?"

Jen rolled her eyes at his words, their bite hiding an underlying tone of amusement.

"Who was the only one who didn't get zapped?" she countered, planting her hands on her hips.

He snorted, and stepped back.

Feeling the widening space between them, Jen lurched forward and grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back against the wall of the tunnel. "Wait here."

"Wait! What? Why?"

"I'm going to take a look around," he answered over his shoulder as he moved towards the opening of the narrow tunnel.

Jen hurried after him. "But there's no one out there. They didn't follow me. I'm sure of it."

"Doc," Ronon turned and stepped into her, forcing her against the wall. "Stay."

"No way," Jen shook her head firmly. She'd had just about enough dark and damp caverns and she didn't have a flashlight. Staying in some tunnel in the middle of Pegasus with goodness knows what kind of crazy Pegasus type creepy crawlies was definitely not an option. She'd been perfectly brave enough before when she'd thought she was rescuing Ronon, but now that she'd found him was no reason she could think of that would send her back into the darkness without him.

He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a groan. "Fine," he relented. "But you stay behind me."

"Yup!" Jen hastily agreed. She had barely taken two steps after him when the ground shook with a violent rumbling. "What the—"

Her words ended in a shriek when Ronon grabbed for her, shoving her roughly into the darkness of the narrow tunnel. The floor twisted sharply side to side causing her to stumble and fall. She reached out to stop herself but her hands found nothing but air. She landed hard on the uneven ground, knocking the air from her lungs. Her ears rang from the sharp cracking as ceiling rock collided with the hard floor.

Jen suddenly found herself with her head and shoulders pinned beneath Ronon's upper body. She struggled, cursing him for placing himself between the falling rock and her. She tried to extract herself but fighting Ronon when he was determined to keep her there was useless.

Then as suddenly as it started, it was over.

Silence rang in her ears. The pressure of Ronon's weight was making her lightheaded, her lungs unable to pull in a full breath. She tried to see past his shoulder, but all traces of light were gone. Even the hint of morning filtering in through the front of the cavern had been extinguished.

They were in total darkness.

* * *

"Okay _that_ did not sound good," Evan muttered, releasing his hold on the tree he'd grabbed to keep himself from sliding to the bottom of the hill. Having opted to take a more direct route to the caverns, they were halfway up a steep incline when the explosion had turned the rocky slope into a bed of marbles.

He glanced over at Laura, who was balanced between a pair of half-dead saplings. Letting loose with a long string of curses, Laura shoved herself away from the trees and scrambled up the slope. They made their way down the other side, slowing when the scrubbed trees thinned.

Crouched behind a spastic thicket of thorny burs, they surveyed the spiked edges of the escarpment rising before them. The grey rock face climbed 200 feet into the early morning sky, the edges sharp and sheer.

For several miles in each direction, great gaping caverns exposed their dark hollows – except for the exposed section directly in front of them. Where the entrance to several narrow tunnels had been yesterday, today there was a massive pile of loose rock and crumbling stone.

"Damn," Evan whispered, digging into his pocket for the Ancient scanner. He eyed the screen and the two pairs of life-signs. "Still two," he angled the scanner so Laura could see it.

"They're headed away from us," she noted. "Further up the escarpment."

Evan tucked the scanner back into his vest. He hopped up and extended his hand, hauling Laura to her feet. "The way I see it we have two choices." He angled his chin towards the rubble. "Go back and wait for reinforcements, or follow whoever that is."

The look Laura gave him pretty much echoed his personal opinion of waiting. "We're not due to check-in for another hour. So in light of standing around being useless and counting boulders, I say we go for door number two and keep moving."

"Option B it is," he agreed, turning to follow in the direction of the life-signs.

"I swear," Laura grumbled as she followed him back down the hillside. "If those dots are _not_ Jen and Ronon I am going to rip those Doctor's arms off and shove them so far up their asses they'll be able to pick each other's noses."

"Graphic."

"Just saying."

Evan had no trouble believing the redhead was going to do some serious damage if she got her hands on either one of the two scientists. The problem was there was a quickly forming line of justice-takers—himself included. And while half of him wanted to believe they were following Jen and Ronon, the other half knew damn well the Satedan wouldn't be heading in the opposite direction of their camp. Not willingly, anyway.

* * *

The jumper skimmed across the white capped ocean, its occupants riding in silence. John stared at the horizon, willing the land to finally appear, but there was nothing to see save for sea and sky.

Captain Sanchez sat beside him, checking his watch methodically. Teyla and Rodney commanded the second set of seats, and Ellis and Browne hovered in the doorway leading to the back compartment, refusing to sit. The tension was heavy with unspoken questions; questions which John had nothing to answer with other than a stomach clenching desire to shoot something.

John replayed Colonel Caldwell's message in his mind, rolling it over and over, twisting it until the only thought left was _why hadn't he known_? They'd had an imposter living within their midst for months—and he hadn't suspected a thing.

Hell, none of them had.

But that didn't stop him from wanting to slice into the IOA for their Swiss cheese security procedures. He almost laughed to think of the dent O'Neill was going to leave when the reports made their way round to him.

"Whoa," Rodney exclaimed, snapping forward in his seat.

John jerked at the break in silence. He glanced over his shoulder at the scientist. "_Whoa_, what?" he questioned quickly.

Rodney set his tablet aside and moved forward. "I've been monitoring the mainland for anything abnormal and the sensors just picked up localized seismic activity." He lurched up and pointed to the HUD which was now showing a map of the mainland. "There," he pointed.

"Seismic?" Captain Sanchez commented. "As in, earthquake?"

"Too contained," Rodney shook his head. "No fault lines in this region and the only active volcanoes are in the southern hemisphere. No it has to be—"

"An explosion," John stated. He stared at the HUD, the location of the drop off point too close to Rodney's seismic event for coincidence. Following the logical leap of his thoughts, the Jumper overlapped life-signs on top of the local topography.

In the ensuing silence, Teyla's sharp intake of breath sounded like a gunshot.

Four dots.

Four life-signs—where there should be six.

He willed the jumper to go faster, cursing because he already knew the drives were already working at maximum speed.

* * *

Pressure lifted of her chest and Jen sucked in a lungful of dusty air. She coughed against the dry grit coating the inside of her nose and mouth. Strong hands gripped her upper arms and pulled her upright.

"Jennifer! Are you okay?" Ronon asked. The way he squeezed her arms, accenting his question, made Jen realize this wasn't the first time he'd voiced it.

Jen tried to speak but managed only a squeak. She could feel the strong beat of Ronon's heart beneath her fingertips, which were gripping his neck tightly. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What happened?"

He guided her to her feet but didn't immediately release her. "Explosion."

"I kind of figured that part out already…" she retorted, gripping his forearms tightly. She blew out a shaky breath, trying to hear over the ringing in her ears and the heavy pounding of her heart. Jen could see nothing in the darkness. Nothing.

Fear that they'd been sealed in… buried… lost beneath a mountain of rubble launched her stomach into her throat.

Ronon's presence was the only thing keeping her from screaming.

"Breathe, Jennifer."

His fingers gripped her shoulders with force, their bite startling her.

She wasn't alone.

Jen took several deep breaths, concentrating on the motion. In and out. After a few minutes she'd calmed her self down enough to trust her voice again.

"What do we do now?"

"We get out of here," he stepped back.

Jen gasped when he pulled out of her reach and she lost contact with his arms. The air had barely left her lungs when his hand was back, gripping hers tightly.

"Come on." He tugged her forward.

"What?" she exhaled, stumbling along behind him. "Where?"

"Out."

Jen bumped her shoulder against the side of the cavern then slammed face first into Ronon's back. Off balance, she took a hurried step back and nearly fell when her ankle twisted on a rolling rock. She twisted sideways when Ronon's arm hooked around her waist. She hovered above the ground, bent over in the darkness.

"Okay, how the hell do you see?" she whispered, feeling the warmth of his breath on her cheek.

"I can't."

"You…wait. What?"

He straightened her up, his fingers sliding down her arms to grip both her hands. He pressed her fingers against his back. "Grab the back of my belt," he commanded.

Jen hurried to wrap her fingers around the leather, the heat of his back searing her chilled hands. She felt his torso twist as he turned forward once again.

"I know the tunnels," he said, taking a slow step forward.

"How can you possibly _know_ the tunnels?" Jen stumbled along behind him, taking several steps before she figured out how to match his gait.

"We train here."

"Train? We who?"

"Sheppard. Lorne. The others. We use these tunnels for training exercises, close quarters combat."

"Really? How come I haven't heard anything about these exercises?"

"Don't know. You'll have to ask Sheppard."

"Don't worry. I will," she grumbled. "If we ever get out of here."

"We will."

"Before or after they blow up the other end of the tunnel?" she wondered aloud.

"They'd have to take out the whole hillside," he answered as they turned sharply to the right. "These tunnels are a maze of crosses and intersections but they cover most of the escarpment."

Jen thought of the amount of dirt and rock and earth above her head and couldn't resist tipping her chin up. She could smell the dampness, smell the dark earth. She still couldn't see anything, but somehow the weight of the escarpment felt as though it were pressing down on her lungs.

"Don't think about it," Ronon ordered. "Just close your eyes. Pretend it's one of those _trust_ exercises Woolsey's always trying to get us to do."

Jen couldn't stop herself from giggling. Yes this would be something Woolsey would eat up.

She squeezed her eyes shut, the darkness feeling more natural with her eyelids closed. Concentrating on the shift in Ronon's muscles against the back of her hands, she matched his speed, moving her feet as he shifted his hips. Twisting and turning, she followed him blindly, trusting his instincts as he led her through the cold, damp darkness.


	26. Chapter 26

Jen had lost count of the number of steps they'd taken and had given up any hope of understanding which direction they were traveling in. But she had gotten much better at judging Ronon's motion, which muscles would flex beneath her knuckles before he turned, which ones indicated he was sidestepping, which showed a slight hesitation before he stepped backwards.

Ronon moved slowly, methodically, feeling his way up the walls with his hands. Jen kept her worried comments to herself, not wanting to distract him from whatever internal map he was reading.

With her hands firmly wrapped in his belt, she found the direct contact was just as good, if not better than conversation to keep her from freaking out.

Eventually his pace increased and it took Jen several moments before she realized the air around them was growing lighter. She blinked furiously, willing herself to remain calm and not run past him like a screaming banshee.

She could see daylight.

"Oh thank god," she exhaled, peering around his shoulders.

The tunnel they were walking through expanded, widening out into a large fronted cavern. They stepped under a cropping overhang and out into the body of the cave. With Ronon's assistance, Jen extracted her fingers from beneath his belt. She'd been holding on so tightly her hands stung with the sudden increase of blood flow.

"I don't know how you did that," she blinked up at him, "and I don't want to know, I am just really, really, _really_ glad you did." She shrugged out of her knapsack, letting the bag drop to the ground. Rolling her shoulders, she worked out the tension the darkness had driven into her muscles. "So now what?" she asked, following him towards the mouth of the cave.

Sun hit her full force, instantly warming her chilled skin. She stepped up beside Ronon and was immediately pushed back into the shadows.

Ronon's hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Back," he commanded.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know if they're out there yet."

"You mean Dr. Bryant and Dr. Davidson?"

He scowled and turned back towards the front of the cavern. Jen peered around him towards the mouth of the cave.

"How far are we from the jumper?"

"Miles."

"Shouldn't we be getting back there?"

"We will…after I take a look around." He took two steps forward then paused to glare at her over his shoulder. "And the answer is no. You're staying right here. We don't know what other weapons they're carrying besides stunners."

Jen She held her hands up in mock defeat. "This is me, staying right here."

He snorted, watched her for a moment longer and then headed out of the cave, skirting the edges before disappearing into the trees.

She stood and grabbed her knapsack, fully intending to follow Ronon into the trees. She'd made it as far as the lip of the cave before she'd talked herself out of it once again. The arguing devil and angel came to a compromise of giving him ten minutes and if he wasn't back…_then_ she'd go after him.

She checked her watch every few seconds, but the hand was practically moving backwards. She kept her spot for five eternal minutes before she started pacing. The small circle became a bigger loop, followed by a bigger loop, until she was circling the entire cavern, hugging the cool walls through their dips and cavernous indents. Other than a quick, curious glance to make sure the boogey man wasn't about to jump out of the tunnels, she ignored the random sized openings and concentrated on circling the cave.

She was on her third lap round the outside when curiosity got the better of her and she stopped to stare at something inside one of the crevices. It drew her eye longer than necessary on both the previous trips, but this time she couldn't walk past it.

In the angle of the rising sun, the warm yellow rays were now filling the entire cavern, killing the shadows and leaving everything bathed in bright light. The beams highlighted the side wall of the crevice, accenting a strange smoothness. All the other caverns were pocked with rough edged rocks, but this one was strangely flat. She stared for a few moments before her mind acknowledged what she was seeing.

It wasn't a floor… it was a grey coloured tarp.

With sunlight fueling her bravery, she stepped forward and lightly touched the edge. Her fingertips slid across the slightly picky surface of cool canvas. She reached for an edge and lifted slowly, flinging it back when the light revealed a familiar plastic sheen.

The missing cargo cases.

"What on earth…?" Jen shrugged out of her rucksack and bent to grab an edge of the dusty tarp. She yanked the canvas covering off to the side, exposing a perfectly stacked collection of battleship-grey cargo containers.

She squatted down to brush her fingers over the front of the closest case, curiosity tugging at her to open it. She hesitated, her hands hovering over the latches. Changing her mind she reached for the handle and gave the case a tug—it barely moved. Whatever was inside was heavy. She tried two other cases with the same results. The cases were full of… of what though?

What was worth all this trouble? What was worth nearly killing her?

"Where's the X-Ray vision when you need it?" she muttered.

Taking a deep breath she reached for the latches. The metallic release was almost deafening. Pressure from within popped the seal and the lid shifted up. When nothing horrid happened she exhaled and unhooked the metal fasteners to release the lid completely.

She blinked, then blinked again.

_What the hell?_

Expecting Ancient tech, or weapons, or money or gold, she was shocked to see that each container was filled with regular, everyday objects.

Earth objects.

Books, manila envelopes, a bulky object wrapped in a chunk of cloth, a revolver, a pair of scissors, a lunch box… random items that looked so bizarre together it looked like the contents of someone's junk drawer.

She reached towards a large, heavy bound book that was sitting on the top and screeched in surprise when she was moved forcefully backwards.

* * *

"You have no sense of self preservation." Ronon muttered, spinning Jen around and depositing her on the ground behind him. He'd had a minor panic attack when she wasn't in the corner of the cave where he'd left her – and true to her nature, she'd gone and found herself a snake's nest.

"What?" she blinked up at him, oblivious to the host of dangers that could have befallen her for opening the container.

"What if there'd been a bomb in there? You can't just go opening random containers like that!"

"Well, I guess I figured they wouldn't hide them under a tarp if they were booby-trapped…right?"

Ronon sighed. _Damn logical blonde._ He turned towards the open container, frowning at the collection stuffed inside. Jen stepped up beside him.

"I don't get it," she reached for the book and lifted it, flipping the cover back to reveal a ledge filled with neatly printed numbers. He watched the pages flip beneath her fingers; numbers. Just numbers.

Ronon moved to another container, flipping the lid back to reveal another eclectic collection—some objects he recognized, others he didn't.

Jennifer returned the book to the first container and reached for the white cloth covered object.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" a voice snapped from behind them.

They both spun towards the cavern opening to face Dr. Davidson and Dr. Bryant. Dr. Bryant had traded in his stunner for something more lethal—which he was now aiming directly at Jennifer. Ronon took a step towards her, but Bryant waved him off, raising the barrel away from Jennifer's abdomen towards her head.

"Stay." Bryant warned.

Ronon held his ground, waiting for an opening one of the two idiots would provide. They always did. If the damn doctor's hadn't shot them yet, chances are they weren't planning on it… but he wasn't about to risk it with Jennifer directly in the line of fire. Judging by the way he kept looking over his shoulder, Davidson was definitely the weaker link. Unfortunately he was standing behind a confident looking Bryant.

"Mr. Dex. Dr. Keller." Bryant shook his head in amazement. "I see you managed to slip away from the landslide." He frowned then glared at Jennifer. "You know I always heard the soldiers talking about your luck, Doctor, but I'd never have believed it until now."

"My…my luck?" Jennifer squeaked.

Bryant nodded. "Out of fifteen miles of caverns, _you_, Dr. Keller, managed to find the with my cargo containers. Incredible."

"What do you want?" Ronon growled, diverting Bryant's attention away from Jennifer.

"From you?" Bryant angled his head. "Nothing. Originally I had a full course set out for Dr. Keller, but now that the containers have been uncovered, there'll have to be a change in the menu."

Ronon tensed when Bryant leaned a little closer to Jennifer. "Sit," he ordered, his weapon aimed at Jennifer's head. Then he barked over his shoulder to Dr. Davidson. "Secure him. And this time do it _tightly_."

Davidson stepped forward, looking like he was debating throwing up. Ronon stared him down, and the man stopped moving.

"Ignore him," Bryant ordered, still holding Jennifer at gun point. "Mr. Dex is going to sit down and put his arms behind his back like a good boy."

Ronon stared at Bryant's hand, noting the steady grip of the weapon, and the trained stance. The man wasn't a stranger to guns, and the cold stare was clue enough that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot if he thought it was necessary.

Keeping his eyes on Bryant, Ronon knelt and moved his hands behind his back. Davidson grabbed a length of rope from the corner near the discarded tarp and wrapped it around Ronon's arms, knotting it tightly.

"Dr. Keller," Bryant smiled coldly at Jennifer. "If you would be so kind as to join your friend on the floor?"

Jennifer glanced quickly at Ronon. He could see her fear and indecision. He nodded, once. She blinked, then stepped back towards him and lowered herself to the floor.

As he leaned down to tie her arms together with the other end of the rope, the Scientist whispered a hurried apology.

"Oh shut up," Bryant scowled at the other scientist. "Now get outside and set the charges."

"But you said Dr. Kell—" Davidson straightened quickly.

"I know what I said," Bryant interrupted, "but plan's change. She's seen the cases. We can't have her getting back to the city now."

"But you said no one would get hurt."

"I lied. Now either you go set the charges, or you can join them on the floor…your choice."

Dr. Davidson looked at Jennifer, then Ronon, then turned back towards Dr. Bryant. "You can't be serious," he exclaimed.

Ronon kept his face calm as Bryant turned his gun on Davidson. Dissention between the two men was a good thing.

"I said, set the charges," Bryant ordered Davidson.

Davidson hesitated only briefly before stepping around Bryant and disappearing from view.

"I suggest you say your good-byes," Bryant sneered as he backed out of the smaller cavern and into the main cave. He gave them a jaunty salute then disappeared after Davidson, shouting orders at the other man.

He tugged at the bindings, nearly toppling Jennifer in his haste to free his hands.

"Ronon," she hissed, fighting to keep herself upright.

"Just hold still," he ordered, twisting his hands to try to release them. Davidson had done a better job this time. The knots were tight. He could feel the burn against his skin as he turned against the roughly hewn rope. He wriggled around, twisting his torso to try to reach the knife still tucked in around the front of his belt. They'd removed the other's when he'd been out – but they hadn't found them all. However unless he could get his hands free he wasn't going to be able to get to it…not with Jennifer tied at his back.

"Ronon," Jen shifted her weight, throwing him off balance.

"Jennifer," he growled. "Sit still. We don't have much time!"

"But Ronon—" She wriggled sideways again, knocking his fingers off their position on one of the knots.

"Jennifer…" he warned. He angled his head and glared at her.

"Oh for heaven's sake," she muttered. "I'm trying to tell you there are scissors right behind you. So stop fiddling for whatever sword you have hidden where and just get the damn scissors, would you?"

He blinked.

"Sorry," she bit her lip. "I'm feeling a little...out of my element."

"Apparently."

"Inside my bag," she angled her chin towards her rucksack, which was lying on Ronon's other side.

Ronon shook his head at his own forgetfulness. He should have known a medical doctor would have sharp implements along for the ride. He dragged the bag closer with his feet and with a deft twist, managed to maneuver it around his back. He worked at the buckles, eventually freeing them both and flipping the cover aside.

"Where?" he asked, digging into the top of the bag. His fingers slid across a familiar smoothness. Surprised, he ducked his head to peer under his arm.

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Jen made a face as he lifted his blaster out of the knapsack and dropped it to the dirty floor. "I forgot about that." She blinked over her shoulder at him. "I found your gun?" she smiled hopefully.

Ronon couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I see that." He shook of his mirth and concentrated on getting a hold of the scissors. He didn't know what Bryant was talking about – there was absolutely nothing wrong with Jennifer's luck. It just took the right kind of sight to see somehow—in the end—everything worked out in her favour.

He made quick work of the rope around his wrists, freeing his hands. He spun on his knee and freed Jennifer. Tossing the scissors onto the top of the bag he grabbed his blaster and moved towards the opening, peering out into the main cavern.

He saw no immediate sign of the pair of doctors, but that didn't mean they weren't there. But waiting here wasn't an option either. Ronon turned towards Jennifer. "Stay directly behind me," he ordered, staring at her until she nodded. "We're going to move along the outside wall towards that outcropping." He pointed to a shadowed section that would offer a better view of the land outside yet still provide them reasonable shelter.

She nodded silently. He could see she was riding a fine edge between fear and control, but he knew she'd never let the fear run unattended. It wasn't in her nature.

Leading with his blaster, he stepped into the main room with Jennifer at his heels.


	27. Chapter 27

"Please tell me they aren't doing what I think they're doing?" Laura whispered, peering through the binoculars at the two scientists as they wired blocks of C4 to the ground outside one of the caverns.

"They aren't doing what you think they're doing?" Evan whispered back.

Laura was pissed that the two life-signs they'd been following were not Ronon and Jen…not that she'd really, honestly though they were…but she'd hoped maybe Pegasus would have worked in her favor just this once.

"Come on," Evan inched forward. "Let's go put a damper on their surprise party."

"I'd rather just shoot them," Laura muttered.

"Let's see if we can avoid another explosion, _first_, shall we?"

"Fine," Laura agreed grudgingly. "_Then_ I shoot them."

Evan led her down the edge of the escarpment and around a rocky rise to a spot where they could cross to the edge of the cliff without being seen. Backtracking along the escarpment they approached the two scientists from the far side. They could clearly hear arguing between the two men.

"I told you, just do it!" Bryant was saying.

"Yes and how do I know that if I do it you're going to keep your word about everything else?" Davidson replied.

"You don't. So I suggest you don't push your luck any further, Davidson. We both know what's going to happen if we get caught. You're just as guilty as I am."

"Because you're blackmailing me!"

"A minor detail. You had choices. Just like the one you have now. Set the charges, or die inside with the other two."

Laura glanced at Evan. Jen and Ronon were in the cave. But was the threat past or present tense? She decided to go with the belief that Jen and Ronon were still alive.

Signaling Laura to take Davidson, who was standing on the left, Evan concentrated on Bryant. Moving quickly out into the open, he shouted orders at the two men. Startled, Davidson dropped the wraith stunner he'd been holding and jabbed his arms straight up into the air.

"Subtle," Bryant made a face at his companion.

"Keep your hands where we can see them," Evan stepped closer to the scientists.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Bryant glanced down at the brick of C4 he was holding. "We wouldn't want this to accidentally go off, now would we?"

"Such a mastermind," Laura rolled her eyes. She shook her head slowly. The idiots had already planted four charges up along the sides of the cavern – four she could see. But judging by the mess they'd left behind a few miles back, there'd be even more C4 hidden up amongst the rocks. She hid her anger behind a smirk. "Crushing yourself under a hundred tones of Pegasus granite doesn't seem like much of an escape plan."

Bryant shrugged and turned towards her. "I don't have much else to loose, now, do I? But you, however…seem to be quite intent on staying alive. So I suggest you step back, and lower the weapons." He opened his left hand to reveal the red-switched detonator. He held it up and wiggled it back and forth. "You wouldn't want me to accidentally twitch and set this all off, now would you?"

Davidson, who was still standing with his arms up, shifted his weight anxiously from foot to foot. "Bryant," he began, "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"Listen to the man," Evan glared at Bryant. "You know damn well you're not going to bring the mountain down on top of yourself. So why don't you tell us what you really want?

"What I want?" Bryant tilted his head, his fingers twitching on the detonator. "I _want_ to take my money and retire to a nice chunk of beach front I have on reserve. But in order to do that, I'm going to need to clear the way for a trip back to Earth, aren't I?"

"Not going to happen." Laura frowned, shifting closer to Evan.

"Well now, Lieutenant," Bryant glared at Laura. "See now this is where you get to decide what's more important…letting me go? Or saving your friends."

"Saving my friends?" Laura narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Bryant shrugged and gave her a half smile. "I'm not the only one you should be worried about. You can waste time here…arguing with me…or you can think about saving your companions."

"Where are they?" Laura demanded.

"They're tied up inside," Davidson offered, his hands still pointed at the sky.

Bryant shot him an angry glare.

Davidson snapped his mouth shut.

Laura took a step forward, but Bryant stopped her by wiggling the detonator. He tisked. "Now, now, Lieutenant. That's not how this is going to work."

"You can't fly the jumper, Bryant. You don't have the gene," Evan countered. "So even if you do distract us, you aren't getting off the mainland."

"Ah yes, the infamous ATA Gene." Bryant smirked. "Well unfortunately for you, Major, I don't need the gene. Davidson here was kind enough to submit himself to the therapy…why just the other day in fact."

Laura stared at Davidson, who reacted with a flustered shout. "He's blackmailing me!"

"Oh shut up, Davidson," Bryant rolled his eyes. "No one cares about your personal life."

Darkness shifted behind Davidson drawing Laura's gaze deeper into the shadows along the side of the cavern. She quickly switched her attention back to Bryant, fighting the urge to grin.

_Damn, Satedan's were sneaky creatures._

"And why would we let you go, knowing you're only planning to kill us anyway?" Evan was asking.

"Because I know you, Major; you military types are such optimists. You always think your skills are going to get you out of any jam. Who knows? Maybe the explosion will only cave things in. Maybe you will survive. Or maybe you'll be buried alive. I'm a gambling man. I'm willing to bet my landslide will bury you…but are you willing to bet that I won't kill us all right now, just because?"

Laura pretended to be intent on the answer while trying to ignore Ronon's forward progress. She gave her chin a slight turn, warning Ronon off. If he shot too soon, Bryant could trigger the detonator. Ronon acknowledged by sliding back into the shadows, but his angry stare told her he was running on very little patience.

Evan lowered his P90, aiming towards the dirt between their position and the scientist.

Laura clenched her teeth, then took a slow even breath and willed herself to relax.

She'd have one shot at this.

She followed Evan's lead and lowered her P90.

Beside Bryant, Davidson hesitated then dropped his arms slowly to his side.

Bryant grinned triumphantly. "See now Major, that wasn't such a difficult decision, was it?" He took a step towards Evan and Laura, his smile turning into a cold sneer. "Now drop the weapons and join the other two inside."

With Bryant's attention concentrated on Evan, Laura shot a glance towards where she'd last seen Ronon and nodded briskly.

The gunshot was echoed off the cavern walls, startling Laura and nearly making her miss her grab for the detonator. If she hadn't already been moving, she'd have missed it out of surprise—she'd expected a stunner blast, not an M9.

Blood poured out of a hole in Dr. Bryant's chest, instantly staining the lab coat until it was nearly drenched. He gurgled, a wet sticky sound low in his throat. Then he collapsed onto his back, his unblinking eyes locked on the sky.

Davidson let out a noise resembling a childish squawk and dropped an M9 to the ground.

Evan jumped forward and grabbed the gun.

"Got it?" Evan spun towards Laura.

"Got it," she exhaled, holding the detonator. Her thumb stung where it had gotten pinched in the grab, but she'd managed to keep him from squeezing the button before he'd gone down.

Rocks clattered as Jen rushed out of the shadows. She dropped to her knees next to Bryant, quickly confirming what the others already knew—the scientist was dead. She turned to Davidson, who looked pale.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "He was going to kill you. I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this. He said he'd ruin me. Ruin my life. He was a terrible, terrible, man!"

Laura helped Jen to her feet. "You okay?"

Jen nodded. "I'm good."

"Okay," Evan sighed and glanced at his watch. "I realize it's barely oh-nine-hundred, but what say we call it a day?"

"Oh yes please," Jen exhaled.

"Let's get back to the jumper." He hauled Davidson to his feet and gave him a push forward. "We're now officially late for check in so we'll have a ride back soon enough."

"A ride back?" Jen frowned.

"They disabled the radios," Laura frowned at Davidson as they walked towards the trees, "taking flight control with it."

"He said he needed to make sure you couldn't contact the city," Davidson said meekly.

"Okay I have a question," Jen asked as she walked beside Ronon. "What's with all the stuff inside the cases?"

"Cases?" Laura and Evan echoed.

"As in our missing shipping containers?" Laura asked.

Jen nodded. "We found them in the cavern. But they were filled with the most random things. Books, papers, scissors, a pocket watch… I mean I was expecting weapons or Ancient tech… not… Earth stuff."

"He tried to kill us over pawn shop supplies?" Laura glared at Davidson.

"Wait," Evan glanced from Jen to Davison, then back again. "No Ancient tech? Weapons? Bio-Weapons? Explosives?"

Jen shook her head with each item. "No. It's just totally random, plain old stuff."

The scientist stopped and turned towards Jen. "No, no, you don't understand, it's not just _stuff_…"

"Then what is it?" Ronon prompted, pushing between Jen and the scientist, blocking the white-coat's view of the doctor.

Evan grabbed Davidson's arm and pulled him forward again. "Talk and walk…"

"Answer the man's question," Laura prompted. "Why are you hiding random junk in caverns in another galaxy?"

"They're not just random objects," Davidson insisted. "Dr. Bryant was paid very handsomely to…well…hide things." He kept glancing over his shoulder at Jen. Laura knew he was trying to play the weakest link, but judging from Ronon's demeanor, one more move towards the CMO and the Satedan was going to drop him.

"Hide things?" Jen asked, pushing past Ronon. "What kind of things?"

"Things people would pay a lot of money not to be found," Davidson continued. He looked around as though not wanting anyone to hear. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "A lot of money. And not reputable people either. Bad people. Mobsters. Criminals."

"Murder weapons?" Laura suggested with a scowl.

"Evidence," Evan added.

Davidson nodded furiously. "Yes, yes exactly. He makes things disappear. _Made_…things disappear."

"He couldn't just bury it in the back yard like everyone else?" Jen exclaimed.

Davidson shook his head. "I guess people are always afraid of things coming back to haunt them. Dr. Bryant charged a hefty fee for _irrefutable distance_, he called it."

"I guess the opposite end of the galaxy is definitely distant," Evan muttered. "You realize no one is going to believe someone went to all the trouble of smuggling items through to another galaxy over a high-end garbage dump. You seriously couldn't have gone for weapons or Ancient tech?"

"Speaking of," Laura narrowed her eyes and glared at Davidson. "What _is_ your part in all of this anyway?"

"He was blackmailing me," the man dropped his head, dejected. "Photos. Of me with um…a woman…a…ah…_married_ woman….of um…one of his clients."

Laura made a face. "You. Really?"

Davidson shot her a look then quickly shook his head. "Yes, yes, I know. But how was I supposed to know they were in it together! The two of them threatened to tell her husband about the photos if I didn't help… and trust me… this guy? Scarier than _he_ is…" Davidson pointed his chin towards Ronon. "And better _connected_…if you know what I mean."

"You slept with a mobster's wife?" Laura snorted. "You aren't exactly the smartest white coat in the lab, are you Davidson?"

"I didn't know who she was," Davidson muttered. "Not until after. But he promised me no one was going to get hurt. We were just supposed to bring some of the items back with our belongings and shipments on each trip, and hide them here."

"Yeah well someone did get hurt," Ronon scowled.

Davidson flinched. "It wasn't supposed to be that way. But you found the cases… and he just…well…went off the deep end. But I never did anything to either of you—I swear it!"

"Bryant was off-world when someone delivered the killer sunflower," Laura stared pointedly at Davidson.

"Killer sunflower?" Davidson paled. "It was poisonous?"

"Poisonous, no." Laura made a face at the memory of the morbid plant. "Deadly, yes."

"Oh. Oh God. He told me it was just to show you that he could get to you anytime. He said…" Davidson's voice fell and he dropped his head, dejected. "Oh who am I kidding? He lied about everything else, why not the plant as well."

The group fell into silence as they finished their trek back towards the camp and the disabled Jumper.

They stepped into the clearing, and Evan slammed to a stop, his P90 raised. Instantly on the defensive, Laura followed suit. The jumper, which they'd left cloaked, was now open and visible in the middle of the campsite.

Ronon pushed between them and stepped boldly forward. "Took you long enough, Sheppard."

John stepped out of no-where flanked by Rodney and Teyla. Behind them a second jumper decloaked.

Evan lowered his P90 and grinned. "Colonel."

"Oh hey and look…it's the rest of the Scoobies," Laura smirked at Ellis, Sanchez and Browne as the three men walked down the ramp of the now exposed jumper.

"Love you too, Dingbat," Browne snorted.

John advanced towards the group, stopping next to Laura and Evan. "Bryant?" he questioned.

"Dead." Evan answered.

John raised an eyebrow and glanced at Laura.

Laura rolled her eyes. "Wasn't me, Sir. Unfortunately. But seeing as how he's on the negative side of breathing, I can't really complain."

"It was all rather anti-climatic if you ask me," Evan made a face. He quickly summarized Bryant's plan to blow them all up with the cases, and Davidson's answer to being blackmailed.

"Wait, what?" John's brow furrowed as he glanced around at the others. "Davidson said Bryant was blackmailing him?"

"I thought Davidson wasn't Davidson," Rodney added.

"He's not," John confirmed, glancing into the empty jumper.

"What do you mean Davidson's not Davidson?" Laura asked, spinning in a tight circle. "….okay where is he?" She looked quickly around the clearing, but there was no white-coat to be seen.

Davidson was gone.

And so was Jennifer.


	28. Chapter 28

"Oh hell," Laura exhaled, glancing at Evan. "_Anti-climatic_? You just had to say it, didn't you." Laura cursed. Davidson wasn't a lackie, and now he had Jennifer. They should have seen it coming. But no, they'd all fallen for the blackmail routine and the woe-is-me geeky white coat.

John sighed and turned towards Ronon. "Chewey?"

"On it." Ronon took off at a run.

"McKay," John pointed towards the disabled jumper, "get this thing in the air. _Cadman_ will fly it," he added when Rodney opened his mouth to protest. "Sanchez, Ellis, if it's not up in five minutes, take jumper three and get airborne. The rest of you are with me," the Colonel finished and took off in the direction Ronon had headed.

"Okay what did you mean Davidson isn't Davidson," Evan asked as they ran into the tree-line. "Who is he?"

"No idea," John called over his shoulder. "The body of the real Davidson was found in a washout a couple miles outside Cheyenne Mountain."

"How the hell did some faker get past security protocols?" Rodney asked. "Nevermind," he scowled. "It is the IOA we're talking about."

"I swear they have the mental foresight of a gnat." Browne muttered. "What ever happened to fingerprint scans? DNA checks? Hell _any_ kind of check?"

Ronon stopped abruptly and everyone came to a halt. He squatted for a closer look at the ground, glanced over his shoulder at the way they'd come, then cursed and headed back towards the campsite.

A quick glance at the others showed a shared understanding. Davidson had turned back to the clearing.

"Okay this guy is really starting to piss me off," John cursed.

"Only starting to?" Rodney exclaimed, watching as Ronon left them all behind. "How the hell can he move that fast?" he huffed.

"Motivation," Teyla answered.

"First one there gets the first shot," John added.

They hit the clearing at a full run and slid to a stop. Davidson was backing up the ramp of Sheppard's jumper, using Jennifer as a shield. Jennifer's back arched awkwardly, telegraphing to everyone that she had a weapon pointed at her spine.

Standing in the corner of the tailgate, Laura stood with her palms out, her P90 at her feet. Sanchez and Ellis were outside the jumper, weapons trained on Davidson and the Doc.

Sanchez shot a quick glance to the Colonel. "Sorry, Sir. He came around the back with her. We couldn't make a move without hurting the Doc."

John ignored Jennifer's obvious fear and concentrated on the crazy scientist. The man was no longer hunched and cowering with worry and embarrassment. He seemed almost taller now, holding himself with a cocky assurance. Even his smile was different—cold and maniacal.

Ronon edged forward, his blaster aimed at Jennifer and Davidson.

"Uh, uh, uh…" Davidson spoke, his voice now carrying a hint of a British accent. He jabbed his weapon further against Jennifer's spine, making her hiss. He dragged her back a step. "Careful Mr. Dex. We wouldn't want my trigger finger to twitch, now would we?"

John stepped forward and motioned for the others to lower their weapons. "Okay Davidson, or whatever your name is… There's no way this is going to work, so why don't you just let the Doc go, and we'll call it a day."

Davidson smirked. "Of course it's going to work, Colonel. You see I'm nothing if not efficient when it comes to back up plans for the back up plans. Although I have to admit, you knowing I'm not Doctor Davidson has me at a bit of a disadvantage."

"The raccoons dug up the real Doctor Davidson," John replied with a shrug. "Perhaps you should have rethought that particular back up plan."

Davidson laughed—it was a cold, harsh bark. "Point taken, Colonel. Point taken."

Jen let out a little squeak when Davidson dragged her further up the ramp and into the jumper. "Now if you don't mind, my dear Colonel, I believe it's time for me to make a few adjustments to my luck, which seems to be rather spotty of late." The scientist glared at Laura. "If you wouldn't mind closing the hatch, my dear?"

Laura glanced at the Colonel.

"Davidson…" John warned.

"Now, Lieutenant," Davidson barked, dragging Jen further into the cargo area of the jumper.

Laura reached up and slapped her palm over the hatch control. The look she shot Evan was calm and controlled. Right before the hatch closed completely she flashed him a grin and winked.

"Aww crap," Evan exhaled. "She's up to something."

The jumper lifted off the ground and shot into the cloudless sky.

John ran up the ramp of the second jumper and into the cockpit.

Rodney grabbed the scattered crystals and quickly sorted them. "You know things would run much more efficiently if people would stop playing lego-builder with Ancient technology," he muttered, squatting under the console. He glanced at each crystal in turn before carefully slotting it into a spot in the exposed tray beneath the console.

"Any time now, McKay…" John urged, glaring at the lifeless controls in front of him.

"Working on it…" Rodney replied, swapping the position of two crystals.

Lights flaired on the console and he closed the tray. "I can get you flight control but no communication," he commented, standing and wiggling two broken pieces of a control crystal.

"Communication can wait," John lifted the jumper into the air. "We can't." He glanced at the HUD and the position of the other jumper. "Fasten your seatbelts kiddies," he scowled, noting the second ship had turned and was now headed back in their direction. "I think Davidson wants to play chicken."

"Um…" Rodney leaned into the aisle between the seats. The other jumper was now screaming straight at them. "Just how good a pilot is Cadman?"

"She's good," John retorted. "Lucky for you I'm better." He piloted the jumper straight up at the sky.

"She's firing," Evan commented as the HUD lit up with red warning lights.

"Seriously?" Rodney squawked.

"Then let's give her something to shoot at besides us," John replied, twisting the jumper and dropping them straight down at the tree-tops.

"What!" Rodney yelped.

"Relax, McKay," John made a face, twisting the jumper as they plummeted towards the planet. "Cadman's not trying to kill us…well…you maybe." The jumper snapped to a level course, snapping the tops off several trees before righting itself. Behind them, several explosions sounded. The blinking warning lights on the HUD flickered out.

"Show off," Rodney muttered.

The second jumper banked sharply and took off to the south, headed straight for the ocean.

"Now what?" Ronon growled from his position between the bulkhead doors.

"Now we follow," John adjusted their course. "If I'm right…we're about to go for a swim."

* * *

Jennifer was having a hard time deciding who she was more upset at; Dr. What's-his-name for his multiple attempts at trying to kill her, or Laura for her current attempt at trying to kill the others.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jen gaped as Laura obeyed Davidson's order to fire on the other jumper.

"Saving your life," Laura glanced behind Jen at the scientist._ If he even was a scientist_, Jen thought.

Davidson had tied Jen to the co-pilots seat, and had seated himself directly behind her. He still had his weapon trained at the back of her head. She knew without having to look because Laura's repeated gaze at something just behind her told her everything she needed to know. She clenched the sides of the seat, letting out a strangled gasp when the explosions sent huge chunks of tree and debris into the air. Jen sent praises to whatever gods protected pilots, because John Sheppard was certainly sitting on a halo.

"You missed," Davidson said.

"Yes well I'm also chasing the man who trains our flight crews," Laura spat.

"Loose them," Davidson commanded. "Or she dies."

Jen didn't need to look to know that she was the 'she' in question.

"You are aware we're traveling in identical jumpers," Laura scowled. "And reinforcements are on their way."

"No…but I _am_ aware I disabled communications in that jumper," Davidson retorted.

"How did you do it?" Laura glanced at him then quickly turned back to the console. "Was any of it real? The blackmail? The comments to Bryant? The way you were acting, Bryant was the master planner and you were just some poor victim."

Davidson laughed. "Ah yes... such a gullible fop. It was really rather easy to make him think he was in charge. A turn of a phrase, a suggestion, a 'what do you think'? Everything else was just...well...good acting if I do say myself. You know it's quite funny how predictable these scientist types are. Fame and money. It's a great motivator. Bryant thought of himself as a genius worth his weight in gold. Give him a problem and tell him he couldn't solve it, set him up with an unlimited cash flow and he was an addict looking for his next fix. Unfortunately for him..."

"...he's dead," Jen finished.

Davidson laughed. "Yes, yes he is. And so will you be if you don't do exactly as I say. The Hesianian Trench is 200 miles off the coast. I am aware that these jumpers make very capable submarines. If you're as good as you say you are, Lieutenant, you should be able to sink them there."

"You'll never get away with this," Jen craned her neck to glare at the monster seated in the seat behind her.

"Well yes but you see Doctor Keller, as I have mentioned before, I am nothing if not efficient on keeping a Plan B? You are likely wondering how I think I am going to get away with having the three of us return to the city and still be allowed to return to Earth on the Daedalus when it comes back?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Jen answered, glancing at Laura.

Laura frowned, piloting the jumper past the last vestige of land and out over the white-caped ocean. "Okay smart-guy, how are you planning to have the three of us return to the city and still be allowed to return to Earth?"

"Quite easily, in fact. You see the two of you will return to your duties, saddened by the unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of your friends, but relieved that you were spared. And you will do this," he added with a hard edged bite, "because of what I know. And what I know is that you, Dr. Keller, are quite fond of your father…"

"My Dad?" Jen squirmed in her chair, trying to see the man behind her.

"—your only living direct relative…" Davidson continued, unfazed by her reaction. "…and you Lieutenant, come from a rather large extended family, all of whom you dote on…especially your beautiful newborn niece Callie Jane."

"Why you arrogant son-of-a-bitch," Laura spat, moving to stand.

Davidson tisked and jabbed the barrel of his sidearm against Jennifer's temple. "Careful Lieutenant…we wouldn't want to have one of those unfortunate accidents in here, now would we."

"If you've hurt them I swear I'm going to tear every inch of skin off your body with my bare hands…" Laura hissed, her eyes filled with fury. She slowly lowered herself back into the pilots seat and buckled herself in.

"Your relatives are fine," Davidson said firmly. "For now. As long as you both cooperate they will continue to remain healthy and in one piece."

"What kind of horrible man could possibly think of hurting a baby?" Jen whispered.

"One who is very, very good at his job," he said coldly. "So what will it be ladies? Friends or family because I assure you—it will definitely have to be one or the other."

Laura glanced sideways at Jen, raw emotion lying naked across her face. Jen stared at her friend, knowing in her heart they truly had only one option. They couldn't choose between one or the other…no matter what the deal was on the table. She knew Laura would never intentionally harm any innocent person... or the man she loved. They couldn't communicate with the other jumper, couldn't warn them, couldn't have Rodney draft up some crazy, psychotic plan.

Laura glanced quickly at Davidson, who was sitting stiffly behind Jen. Then she shifted her attention to Jen, staring hard with a slightly quizzical look as though waiting for Jen to choose who lived and who died.

Jen knew what Laura was silently asking, because the same question was strangling the life out of her own heart. Life above all else. They couldn't shoot the others down, and they couldn't let Davidson harm their families.

After a moment Jen realized with surprise that Laura _wasn't_ worried. No, when Laura was worried about something...truly worried...she blinked more than normal. It was a bizarre twitch, but a dead giveaway to anyone who knew her. No Laura was staring at her with open eyes. A solid stare. And no blinking. In fact she looked as though she'd already made a decision, and was just waiting for a sign from Jen to proceed.

Jen blinked.

Laura blinked. Once.

Jen's heart beat added a few extra staccato beats. Laura was trying to tell her something, but Jen had no idea what the plan was. She only hoped it was a good one that wasn't going to involve shooting down Sheppard's jumper.

"Well Ladies?" Davidson leaned closer to Jen, the barrel once again appearing near her head. "What will it be? Family or friends? Is the bond of blood stronger than the bond of friendship? Shall we put money on it?"

Sending up a silent prayer to the all gods, devils and demons who might be listening, Jen begged for absolution from all her bad-luck. She sent Laura her best 'you'd better know what you're doing' glare and dipped her chin, nodding once. "Fine."

Laura turned slowly around to face Davidson as the jumper headed further out to sea. "We'll play your twisted game, but our families remain out of it, you heartless bastard."

"You get rid of that jumper," Davidson replied, settling back in his chair behind Jen, "and we have a deal."

Jen felt a slightly nauseating shift in momentum when Laura switched off the internal dampeners. Jen wouldn't have noticed if not for the many near-misses and crippled jumper rides she'd had over the years. Jen bit the inside of her cheek, willing herself not to speak, not to look at Laura, and not to give anything away. Without the dampeners to combat the drastic change in speed, they'd be tossed about like rag-dolls when the jumper broke the surface of the water. Without the dampeners…they'd likely be killed.

Without the dampeners, they had nothing to keep their bodies stable as Laura commanded the jumper to slam full force onto the cresting tops of the angry sea.

Before she blacked out Jen was pretty sure she was screaming.

* * *

_Water._

It was the first thing Laura realized.

She was in the water… and damn it was cold. Icy. Ocean. It licked quickly up her body with its icy tongue.

She tried to open her eyes but the command wasn't obeyed. She struggled to reach out with her hands, but her right arm was heavier than it should be. Pain speared her shoulder when she tugged with her left arm instead. She cried out, barely recognizing the hoarse croak as her own.

She could hear pounding…metallic almost…no…sharper. High pitched. It made her think of the sound of ice snapping out of the metallic ice cube tray her nana had. Sharp and crisp with a tinny scrape that always made her shiver uncontrollably. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.

She shuddered violently, hissing as the stabbing pain in her right shoulder reminded her she shouldn't move. She could feel the edges of the darkness tugging her back to sleep…where it would be warm. Painless. Comfortable.

Someone called her name.

_God-damn, it Red._

Evan? Wow he sounded mad. _Really_ mad.

Dangerously sexy kind of mad.

She wondered what she'd done to send him over the edge this time… whatever it was it had to be good. She started to laugh but the giggle turned into a cough that made it hard to breathe.

A huge blast of icy water splashed across her chest, shocking her. She tried to inhale and was rewarded with a mouthful of ocean. She choked back a scream, panic now overriding the fear of the pain exploding across her upper body as her arms moved without warning.

Spots swirled behind her eyelids, dancing in a flurry of sparkling white.

Then blessed nothingness.


	29. Chapter 29

_She was tied to the seat in a sinking jumper…_

Pure panic jolted Jen into action, her movements echoed with a shrill, repetitive beeping. She flailed furiously, struggling to free herself before the water came in too far. But the water wasn't here…and this jumper had a white ceiling. And when did Rodney install such a shrill warning beeper?

"Och, now calm down lass," Carson commanded, his hands pinning her to the bed.

_Bed._

_Infirmary._

_Atlantis?_

Something sharp stung the side of her neck, the prick of pain making her dizzy. She struggled dispite the sluggishness in her limbs.

"Jennifer, calm down." Ronon's voice. Ronon's face. She hesitated…listening to his repeated insistence that she was safe. The beeping klaxon slowed in tandem with her mind's acceptance of his words. Other faces hovered in the background, blurry and out of focus.

Jumbled images of icy water flowed with her as she slid into the darkness.

* * *

John and Evan walked into the infirmary, crossing to where Carson and Marie were holding court in front of Dr. Keller's bed. Ronon stood with an uneasy stiffness next to an equally concerned looking Teyla.

"Next time we'll bring her up a little more slowly," Carson was saying. "It was just a bit of a panic. Nothing to worry about."

"Everything okay?" John asked, immediately assessing the pale woman in the bed beside them, her skin as white as the gauze covering half her forehead. The monitors next to the bed beat a steady rhythm while she slept.

"Aye," Carson shot them a calm smile. "Jennifer woke up in a bit of a state. We had to sedate her. Next time we'll let things wear off a little less abruptly. Give her time to adjust."

"But she's okay?" John looked at the doctor for reassurance.

"Other than a broken wrist, a conk in the noggin, and swallowing half an ocean, aye lad. She'll be fine."

John's attention shifted to the bed to the left and the equally pale skinned occupant.

Laura's state gave them far more to worry about than Jennifer. Where Davidson's rope around Jennifer's torso had effectively belted her into her seat, Laura had been wearing only the lap belt. She may have come out of it with less of a worry if Davidson's un-secured six-foot form hadn't smashed past them into the bulkhead, half crushing Laura as he flew past. The right side of her body suffered the most damage, with broken ribs and a cracked collarbone, torn ligaments in her shoulder, a broken wrist, and a severe concussion. One of her ribs had pierced a lung, giving them all a sleepless night, but true to her stubborn red-headedness, she'd come through surgery with flying colours.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for the sedative to wear off and the recovery to begin.

John hadn't needed to speak to either woman to know that Laura had purposely crashed the jumper. Rodney and Radek had run test after test, confirming without at doubt that the dampeners were not faulty… they had been turned off. But why? Why take that kind of chance? Why nearly kill yourself in an attempt to take out one man?

They were questions that would remain unanswered until the two women awoke.

* * *

It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Jennifer started to wake up. The infirmary was quiet and lifeless, a nice change to the emotional insanity that had followed hours earlier when the two women had been brought in.

The rescue had been a frantic battle of men against ocean. The jumper had crashed almost directly in front of them, flying in perfectly fluidly until it suddenly pitched and slammed into the water. He'd fully expected it to plunge beneath the surface, but somehow Cadman had managed to keep enough control to hold the craft hovering half-in, half-out of the ocean for two minutes before she finally passed out and the ship had started to sink. In the time it had taken Cadman's mind to release flight control and Sheppard to take it over, the interior of the disabled jumper had filled completely with water.

It was one of the longest flashes of time he'd ever had to hold on to.

Jennifer's breathing grew more sporadic as she pulled herself out of the drugged sleep. She mumbled something incoherent and lifted her broken hand. He wrapped his fingers around the cast and gently guided her hand back down.

Her eyelids fluttered and opened, finally focusing.

"Hey," he leaned closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

She frowned. "Dizzy."

"Understandable."

She lifted her left arm, eyeing the cast warily. She glanced at him, her free hand rubbing lightly across the gauze along her temple.

"Wrist. Carson said it was a clean break. And you cracked your head…only seven stitches though," he added, angling his chin towards the bandage on her forehead.

"Only seven?" she half smiled.

"It's enough."

She nodded and closed her eyes. They shot open almost immediately. "Laura!" she gasped.

Anticipating her reaction, he was on his feet and pushing her back against the pillow before she could sit up.

"Right beside you," he slid to the side so she could see Laura in the next bed.

"Wow," Jen whispered. "She looks bad."

Ronon quickly filled her in on Laura's injuries.

She pointed her towards the foot of Laura's bed. He snorted and reached for Laura's medical chart, having to help her hold it so she could read the report.

"Satisfied?" he asked when she dropped her head back to the pillow.

"No, but it will have to do I suppose."

"Want to tell me what happened out there?" he asked.

Jen stared up at him. "I…" she bit her lower lip. "It's fuzzy…pieces…" Her brow furrowed, wrinkling the gauze. "He wanted us to shoot you down…"

"We figured as much. That's why Sheppard dropped to the trees… so she'd have something else to shoot at."

"Oh," Jennifer replied. "I didn't…I mean I thought…" She gave her head a slight shake then smiled, resting back against the bed again. Her eyes drifted closed and she sighed. "Just thought he was a good pilot."

After a moment of silence he thought she'd fallen asleep again, but she snapped up with a gasp. Her fingers shot up, wrapping tightly around his wrist. Her skin was like ice. The monitor beside her began to beep crazily and he watched the numbers climb.

"He's going after our families," she blurted out. She tried to pull herself up and he forced her back. Her words rushed out in a hurried stream. "He said if we didn't do what he said, he'd kill them! My Dad. Laura's family. The baby—"

"Okay…one thought at a time, Jennifer." He tried to keep his voice steady despite the agitation she was transferring through her trembling fingers. "Who said?"

"Dr. Davidson."

"Davidson's dead."

"Not the real one…the one in the jumper."

"He's dead," Ronon said firmly. "He died in the crash."

"What if he isn't…wasn't…working alone? What if—"

Ronon tapped his com. "Sheppard."

"Hey buddy," John answered sleepily. "What's up?"

"Need you in the infirmary."

"Everything okay?" John asked, his voice suddenly clear and awake.

"Doc's awake and needs your help."

"Be there in five," came the succinct reply.

"He's on his way," Ronon assured her. "I'm sure it was just an empty threat, Jennifer. But—" he added before she could protest. "We'll make sure everyone's safe. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, slowly sliding her fingers away from his wrist.

"How about you tell me how you crashed while we wait?"

* * *

Evan attacked the punching bag in rhythmic pattern of kicks and punches, exhaling curses with each strike. He couldn't believe the damn woman would actually willingly face-plant a jumper into the ocean out of some crazy-assed scheme to save him. That was the best plan she could come up with? Snapping on a seat belt and going for the send-the-bad-guy-through-the-windshield trick? It was a damn lap belt in a space-ship…not a Looney Tunes cartoon! When she finally woke up he was going to have a few words with her on that subject. Right after he told her he loved her he'd firmly explain how he would kick her ass to hell and back if she ever tried anything so one-hundred-percent spectacularly foolish ever again.

_God damn redheads._

"Of all the stupid… rash…reckless…fool-hardy… idiotic… brainless… hair-brained… dumb-ass… god-forsaken… stupid…."

"You said that one already," John quipped from the doorway.

Evan gave the bag a disgusted shove and stepped towards the corner of the gym, snagging his water bottle off the floor. He downed half of it then exchanged it for a towel.

"Ran out of swear words?" John moved into the room.

Evan shrugged, swiping the sweat off his face with the cloth. "Used them already. In seven different languages. Including Ancient."

"You slept yet?"

Evan stared at his CO knowing damn well the man was asking while already knowing the answer. "Sure," he lied. "A whole eight hours. Any word from the IOA?"

"Everyone is alive, accounted for, and under 24 hour secret surveillance. SGC agrees it was likely just an empty threat, but surveillance will remain in place until they've tracked down the supply lines and come up with an identity on our impostor."

"How's the Doc?"

"Driving Carson nuts with questions over Laura's treatment."

Evan had to smile at that one. Jen wasn't just a bad patient, she was hell on wheels to anyone tasked with taking care of her. Didn't help that Ronon's constant presence was only adding to the tension level when anyone came near her bed.

Or Laura's.

His smile faltered. Despite Carson's repeated assurances, Laura showed no signs of waking.

John slapped him across the shoulder then shoved him towards the hallway. "She'll be fine."

"Before or after I kill her?" Evan scowled, stepping into the dimly lit hallway.

"Hey," John shook his head. "I thought it was a pretty ballsy move, myself."

"That's such a compliment coming from the guy who thinks 'kamikaze' means 'park here'."

"Hey…" John frowned. "I've never wrecked a jumper McKay couldn't fix. Now quit arguing with me and get yourself cleaned up, Major. Carson's said to tell you she's waking up."

Evan tried to hide the flicker of hope he'd been strangling for the past three days, then gave up. "Yes, Sir." he grinned and took off at a run down the empty hallway.

* * *

** EPILOGUE**

**

* * *

**

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on," Laura pouted. "I feel fine."

"I said no," Evan replied firmly. "You are not taking a jumper to the mainland, and that's final."

"Can—"

"No, Jen can't take a jumper either."

"Then—"

"No, the Doc can't book a jumper to the mainland and request you as the pilot either.

"But—"

"You are not allowed to steal a jumper, borrow a jumper, requisition a jumper, or blackmail anyone else into getting you a jumper. I don't want you in the jumper bay, near the jumper bay, or anywhere in the immediate vicinity of a jumper for the next two weeks or I swear I will pack you up on the Daedalus before she leaves in the morning and you will spend the next eighteen days under the ever watchful eye of Colonel Caldwell in stead of here in the city with your best friend on down-time. Do we have an understanding?"

"Party pooper," Laura sighed and dropped her head back to his shoulder. She shifted her leg up over his and pressed closer. "Guess I'll just have to find something else to do to pass the time."

"Carson said no strenuous activity."

Laura smiled slowly, tracing random patterns across his bare stomach. "Well then I guess it's up to you to make the _activity_ as un-strenuous as possible."

Evan laughed. "And just how do you expect me to do that, Red?"

"Slowly," she kissed the side of his neck. "Very…very, slowly."

"You are _so _going to steal a jumper, aren't you?" he sighed when she nibbled on his ear.

"I prefer the word _liberate_," she laughed, nuzzling the side of his jaw with her nose.

"Fine," he sighed, sliding his fingers into her hair and kissing her. "Please just warn me first."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"Red…" he said slowly.

Laura smiled. He was so cute when he was worried about her. "I promise I'll warn you."

"Thank you."

"Now," she rolled on top of him. "Where were we?"

"I think you were seducing me."

"Right," she smiled. "Well, let's get back to that, shall we?"

"Let's," he grinned. "And then you can steal your jumper."

"Love you," she giggled.

"Love you too, Red."

.

.

.

**END**


End file.
